A Woman Scorned
by Bella Baby24
Summary: Bella is betrayed by her husband. She writes a book based on the plan for revenge she wishes she could enact against her ex and his lover. How will Edward react when he sees Bella again and realizes that he's the inspiration behind the best-selling book?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**2008 (BPOV)**

It was almost as if I were watching a movie. Time slowed down and the crowd parted to reveal the most gorgeous man I had ever known. My mind was demanding that I hate him; however, my heart leapt with joy at the mere sight of him.

From my perch above the ballroom, I openly appraised him without fear of detection. I stared at the profile of the man that used to lay next to me in bed every night and wished I could trace my fingers along his jaw one last time. It had been three years since I had last seen him in person and time had been good to him. Gone were the circles under his eyes and the hollow expressions on his face. I watched as he tossed his head back and laughed at a joke one of his companions told. Although I was on a balcony across the room, I could hear the velvety undertones of the laugh that used to melt my soul.

I watched him and remembered a time when his laughter, smiles, and kisses belonged to me. I could almost feel his arms around me and hear his velvety voice whisper sweet nothings in my ear. I longed to run my fingers through his gorgeous bronze hair while I assaulted his mouth with my tongue. I would kill to be the object of his admiration once again. It may have been three years, but the man still owned me. My body longed to be near him and underneath him once again. The mere memories of our prior sexcapades had me salivating at the sight of him.

My reminiscing was cut short when he looked up and noticed me appraising him. His body stiffened and his bright greens eyes widened in surprise as he recognized me. I could see the battle raging inside him as he tried to determine how to acknowledge my presence. The guilt, longing, and dare I say lust, radiated off him as he drank in the sight of me. I looked damn sexy tonight and I knew it. In a moment of courage, I lifted and tilted my champagne glass towards him. I threw a brilliant smile and a wink in his direction before I turned around and walked away from the balcony and him.

Let him wonder what the gesture meant. Let him stew over my amusement at his presence. As far as he knew, he was my ex-husband, the man who destroyed my life and shattered my heart. My prior gesture would be a contradiction to the role he supposedly played in my life. Little did he know that he was the inspiration behind my best-selling novel, "A Woman Scorned". The things that fictional me did to fictional him had made me millions. He should thank his lucky stars that I only wrote about my plans for revenge and that the real me had too much class to send sex toys to his workplace....

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**A/N: This is my first fanfic. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	2. Betrayed

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It just leads to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be THAT girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

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**2004 (3 1/2 Years Before Prologue)**

I hurried down the street towards my best friend Tanya's apartment. Normally I would take the time to enjoy the view around her Chicago neighborhood, but today I was in a hurry. It was Edward's and my second anniversary and I had a surprise for him when he got home from the hospital today. I was finally going to fulfill one of his fantasies and dress like a dominatrix. The only problem was that I hid my new thigh-high stiletto boots at Tanya's so Edward wouldn't find them.

I pulled out my cell and texted Tanya to let her know that I was on my way over to pick up my boots. I knew she was at work so I told her that I would let myself in with my key. I arrived at Tanya's and hurried into her walk-in closet. I easily found my new boots and was on my way out of her bedroom when I heard Tanya walk in the door.

I was about to yell out to her that I was in her room when I realized she was not alone. I heard some banging around and her breathy moans. I hadn't seen Tanya lately because she had been spending time with her new boyfriend Alex. Supposedly, he was the best sex she'd ever had. I assumed he was here with her and couldn't wait to meet the man that was making my best friend so happy. Just as I was about to make my presence known, I heard a man's voice groan out, "God, I'm going to fuck you so hard."

_No fucking way._

My heart stopped as I heard those words. It was amazing how much Alex sounded like _my_ Edward. I heard the tearing of clothes and zippers, before I heard both Tanya and the man cry out as he entered her. Feeling sick, I looked through the crack of Tanya's bedroom door to see her fucking _my_ husband on her kitchen counter. His pants were around his ankles and her high heels were digging into his ass as he plowed into her.

_This can't be happening. Tell me this is not fucking happening._

"You feel so fucking good," my best friend moaned as my husband pounded into her. "I've been dying to be inside of you all day," Edward replied.

_The fucking bastard has obviously been in that slut before..._

I felt like I was going to throw-up. Two of the most important people in my life were betraying me right before my very eyes. I couldn't decide if I should storm out and confront them or if I should just break down and cry. Hearing Edward's grunts brought me out of my thoughts and provoked my anger. I was not going to take this laying down. During most of our arguments, Edward was able to sway me with his crooked grin and loving gestures. This was one argument that Edward would not be able to avoid. He was going to tell me what I needed to know and he would cooperate with me. I hatched a plan that I knew would guarantee that I would get answers to the many questions running through my mind.

I opened Tanya's bedroom window and lowered myself out onto the fire escape. I could still see them fucking in her kitchen from outside. I took out my phone and dialed Edward's number. I could hear his cellphone ringing in Tanya's apartment. She groaned as she heard my ringtone, "Edward, just let it go to voicemail. She can wait until later."

He spat out "Fuck" as he reached for his phone. "Hi, love," he panted into the phone. "How's my gorgeous wife?"

_Just fabulous. I am watching you pound the shit out of my best friend._

I tried to control my disgust and rage as I kept my voice airy. "Well, I just called the hospital and they said you had left for the day. I am so excited that you will be home early. I have huge plans for you tonight. You'd best get your sexy ass home pronto mister."

"I'm just heading to the gym, but I will be home soon," Edward replied.

_Breathe. Don't kill the lying bastard... yet._

I kept my voice hard and authoritative as I answered, "Well Edward, I would prefer if you came straight home instead of going to the gym tonight. I have some serious anniversary plans that are going to require all of your stamina. I want you waiting for me, naked in our room in one hour. It would not be wise to upset your Mistress by being late."

I watched through the window as he straightened his back and let out a surprised moan, "Fuck, baby. Are you seriously going to be my Mistress tonight?"

I giggled into the phone as I watched him start to withdraw from Tanya's embrace. "Edward, stop wasting time," I demanded. "Make sure you are at home on time so I can remind you who owns your ass." Without waiting for a reply, I hung up the phone and watched the drama unfold in Tanya's apartment.

My surprise had definitely pushed Edward over the edge. He pounded into Tanya twice more and screamed out my name as he came. As Edward pulled away from her, Tanya growled at him, "What the fuck, Edward?"

He pulled up his pants and pushed away from the kitchen counter. "Tanya, I need to be home for my anniversary. Unless you want Bella to find out about us, I need to leave now. Sorry you didn't finish, but I promise I'll make it up to you, baby."

"You're seriously leaving me right now, to go fuck Bella?" Tanya yelled.

_Fucking bitch._

Edward sighed and calmly stated, "She's my wife, Tanya. I'm sorry if you don't like it, but you knew the situation when we got involved." Edward kissed Tanya's forehead and left her apartment.

I hurried down the fire escape and made my way home. I was revolted that Edward has just been inside my former best friend. However, a small part of me rejoiced that he screamed my name as he came. I shook my head and tried to maintain my composure. Tears were streaming down my face as I stormed through the streets. To distract myself, I began to plot our evening. I meant what I said when I told Edward I would remind him who owned his ass. By the time this night was over, he would be begging me for mercy.

-o-o-o-

I arrived home and let myself into the house through the back door. Edward's car was out front so I knew that he would be upstairs waiting for me. I quickly changed into a black-latex corset dress that barely covered my ass. I pulled on my thigh-high stiletto boots and grabbed the new prop box that I had compiled for tonight. I took one deep breath after another and tried to convince myself to stay strong. I needed to keep the bile down and not let Edward see that I couldn't stand the sight of him.

I entered the bedroom to see my naked husband standing before me. He instantly hardened at the sight of me wearing skin-tight latex. The excitement on his face was both heartbreaking and revolting. If I had not gone to Tanya's apartment this afternoon, I would be so proud of myself for the thoughtful surprise I had planned for tonight. As I started to walk towards Edward, he groaned out, "Fuck, Bella."

_Yeah. I know I look fuck-hot._

I took the riding crop I had brought in as a prop and lightly tapped the outside of his thigh with it. "You will not speak unless spoken to" I commanded. "You are here for my pleasure alone. I will use your body as I see fit. You will not touch me unless invited to do so. You will not speak unless I ask you a question. When you answer me you will address me as Mistress. Do you understand pet?"

Edward looked down and replied, "Yes, Mistress."

I placed the riding crop under his chin and pushed it up so that I could see his face. His deep green eyes were sparkling with excitement, love, and lust. It was at that moment that I truly hated him. I loved him with my entire being and would do anything to see that look in his eyes. Yet, he could not even keep his dick in his pants. I had to turn from him and reach into the prop box to hide my rage and disgust from him. After I composed myself, I turned around and addressed Edward. "Your cock is so hard for me my pet and I haven't even touched you. Are you looking forward to me using you as my own personal fuck toy, Edward?"

"Yes, Mistress," was his breathy reply.

"Pet, let us make sure that you do not cum until I desire it. Stroke yourself three times and then slide this cock ring down to the base of your dick" I commanded. I initially had planned on doing this part myself, but I knew where that dick had been today and I didn't want anything to do with it. Instead, I watched as he stroked his massive erection and slowly slid the cock ring into place. On any other day this action would have me salivating and dying to suck him off. Today I just felt nauseous at the thought that some other woman had made him cum. When the ring was firmly at the base of Edward's glorious dick I pulled a remote control out of my prop box. "Did you think that is a standard cock ring pet?" I cooed. I pushed the button on the remote and watched as Edward jumped and moaned at the vibrations running through his member. "It vibrates pet. By the time I am done with you, you will be begging me for your release."

I turned the vibrations off and told Edward to lie on our bed with his hands above his head. I took the handcuffs out of the prop box and secured Edward to our headboard. Once he was immobilized, it was time for my interrogation to begin. I pushed the button on the remote for the cock ring and listened to Edward moan.

"Who do you belong to pet?" I demanded.

"You, Mistress" was his answer.

_Are you sure about that?_

"Who does your dick belong to Edward?" I almost yelled.

"You, Mistress," he screamed.

_Keep calm Bella._

I pressed the button on the remote again to remind him of the matter and stated, "Since I own your dick, I own your orgasms Edward. You cum when I say you cum. Although, this lovely ring won't let you to cum until I allow it."

I walked up to the head of the bed and leaned over until I was looking directly into Edward's eyes. I studied him carefully as I began to speak, "I had planned to tie you up tonight and tease you until you were begging for a release. I planned to make you cum over and over again until you were begging me to stop. I wanted to ensure that you knew how much I love you. That you understood that I would do everything in my power to make you happy. I planned on using this entire night to celebrate our marriage by making your fantasies come true. I even went to the trouble of securing the day off for you tomorrow so that you could recover from all the mind-blowing orgasms I had planned for you. But plans change."

I crawled between Edward's legs on the bed and traced the riding crop over the sexy v that led down his hips to his glorious cock. I heard him groan as I lightly tapped his balls with the riding crop. I turned on the cock ring again and ran the riding crop over the length of his dick. He began to thrash against the bed and moaned loudly. I cocked my head to the side and asked Edward, "Do you want me to suck your dick, pet? Would you like to cum in my mouth?"

"Please, Mistress!" he shouted in reply.

I quickly turned off the vibrating cock ring and studied Edward's face as I asked, "It does not please me to suck your dick pet. Do you know why?"

"No, Mistress" Edward replied.

"Because I know where this dick has been today and I don't care to taste another's pussy, Edward," I sneered at him. When my words registered, his eyes widened and he looked at me in shock.

"Are you surprised that I know about you and Tanya, Edward? Did you think I wouldn't realize that you were fucking someone else?" I yelled at him.

Edward began to shake his head in horror. "Bella," he whispered.

I turned away from him and started to change out of my corset dress. "I am going to leave you tied to this bed for a while, Edward. I want you to tell me how many women you cheated on me with and for how long. I want to know if you love Tanya. Most of all, I want to know when you stopped loving me and when you determined that I wasn't enough," I screamed at him.

Edward opened and closed his mouth without making a sound. He seemed to be at a loss for words.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to study Edward. "You can stop calling me Mistress now, Edward. I will not release you from this bed until I am satisfied with our conversation. Bondage is about trusting one's partner. You destroyed my trust in you today; therefore, I will be holding you hostage until I have the information I need."

Edward gulped loudly and cleared his throat. "I am so sorry, Bella," he began. "It all started about six months ago. I was stressed at work and you were busy editing a new book. Tanya was at the same bar I was at and she was there for me. We were drunk and one thing led to another. Next thing I knew, she was giving me a blow job in one of the back booths."

I shuddered as I learned about the first sexual experience between my best friend and husband. "How often have you been fucking her?" I asked.

"Not that often," he replied. "Maybe once a week, or so."

"Once a week?" I screeched. "That's pretty damn often to be CHEATING on your wife!"

_Don't kill him. He's not worth jail time. Breathe Bella._

In my anger I pushed the button on the remote control and watched Edward's cock become even more engorged. He thrashed on the mattress and groaned my name loudly. When he started to yell out "Fuck!", I stopped the vibrations. "It might do you some good to learn how to control your dick, darling. Maybe if we had done this earlier you wouldn't feel the need to fuck my best friend," I sneered.

"God, Bella! Will you stop torturing my cock! I'm sorry alright. I didn't mean for this to happen!" he yelled.

"No. You didn't mean to get caught," I stated. I felt the tears building up behind my eyes as I looked at him. "Do you love her?" I questioned.

He looked down and whispered, "I might." A sob caught in my throat as he looked up at me. "God, Bella. I really fucking love you, but sometimes, I think I love her too. I am so confused."

With those words, my world came crashing down. My husband might be in love with another woman. He had been sleeping with someone else for months. I may have been able to forgive one indiscretion, but a long-running affair was a deal breaker for me. I went into my closet, pulled out my suitcase, and began to pack some of my clothes. I could hear Edward begging me to talk to him, but I just couldn't. I had given the man in front of me everything I had. He took it all and threw it away on a woman who was supposed to be my best friend. I was physically ill. The more I thought about the two of them together, the more devastated I became. Sobs racked my body and I ran into the bathroom and threw up bile. I peeled myself up off the tile floor and walked back into our bedroom.

_Get it together woman. You can fall apart later._

When I walked in the room I saw the tears streaming down Edward's face. He pleaded with me, "Please don't go, Bella. We can work this out."

I bent down and kissed the man that I had called my husband for the last two years. There was a longing, desperation, and sadness in that kiss. I ran my hands through his hair and tasted his remorse and love. Pulling back, I lightly kissed him and our marriage goodbye. Through my tears I answered him, "No we can't. I hope she was worth it, Edward. I love you more than I can fathom, but it wasn't enough for you."

I unlocked one of the handcuffs and gave Edward the key so that he could unlock the other. I hit the button on the cock ring one last time, gave Edward a teary smile, and whispered, "I hope you enjoyed your fantasy." I tossed a bottle of lube at him and started to walk out of the room. Looking over my shoulder, I yelled out, "Enjoy fucking yourself, Edward. I will certainly enjoy fucking you in court."

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**A/N: I have been pleasantly surprised by the number of hits this story has generated. Please review and let me know what you think so far. As a bribe, I will send out an EPOV to everyone who reviews. **

**A/N: 4/30/10- All bribes are posted in the separate story, 'A Woman Scorned Outtakes' =)**


	3. Hell Hath No Fury Part 1

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. However, the idea behind A Woman Scorned is mine. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It just leads to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be THAT girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

**A/N: There have been many questions about my update schedule. I am aiming to update at least once a week (most likely on Sundays). Additionally, most chapters will have bribes.**

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**2005 (3 Years Before Prologue)**

Jasper shot me a dirty look and slapped his hand down over mine. I knew I was driving him crazy by drumming my fingernails on the conference table, but I was nervous. Today we would be finalizing details surrounding my divorce. After this afternoon, it was plausible that I would never see Edward again. It had been a crazy six months since I had left him with a bottle of lube. Edward was going to be angry about my demands concerning the divorce and about how the situation has played out so far. I was both anticipating and dreading seeing him this afternoon. As Jasper and I waited for Edward and his attorney to arrive, I thought back to the events that occurred the night I left Edward.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**(Flashback to Date of Betrayal)**

Reality hit me as I walked out of our house and got into my car. I had just ended my nine-year relationship and two-year marriage with Edward. At the age of 27 I would become a divorcee. All I wanted to do was drink and forget the fact that my life was in shambles. In any other situation, I would call Tanya and tell her that I am on my way with the tequila. However, that was obviously not an option. My anger flared at the thought of her betrayal and I realized that I had one more stop to make tonight before I could completely break down.

I knew that Edward would be busy relieving himself for a few more minutes so I pulled out my phone to call Tanya before she could hear the news from him. I just had to keep her on the phone until I could drive over to her apartment. I needed to make sure that she would be there for our confrontation. Tanya's husky voice answered the phone after three rings, "Hey, B. Aren't you supposed to be out having some fun for your anniversary?"

_OK. Use the fact that she sounds like shit to keep her on the phone. Be concerned Bella_.

"Tanya, are you OK? It sounds like you've been crying," I asked.

_Does she already know?_

"No. I'm not OK. My life is so messed up. I was sexing up Alex today and he screamed out another woman's name," Tanya cried.

_That's right bitch._

"I'm sure it was a mistake. Who's name did he call out?" I questioned.

"Well, here's the thing.... Alex is seeing someone else too. He called out the other woman's name and left right after he came. He didn't even get me off before he left. Don't get me wrong, the sex is usually amazing, but sometimes I think that's all it is. I just want us to be exclusive," she whined.

_So you wanted him to leave me? _

"I'm sorry, T. That sucks. Have you talked to him about this? Maybe you shouldn't be sleeping with him unless it's exclusive,"I calmly stated.

_Or maybe you should just stay away from married men in general. Slut._

"It's a little more complicated than that. Enough about my man troubles. What's up? Why are you calling me on your anniversary?" she asked.

"Well Tanya, I need your help. I'm divorcing Edward," I sharply stated.

_Oh, the irony that my home-wrecking, ex-best friend is a divorce attorney._

"What? Why?" she practically squealed. The hope in her voice was nauseating. She could at least pretend to be heartbroken for me.

_Over-eager slut._

"He's having an affair. I need you to be my lawyer. What do you say T? Will you help me nail his ass? Not to mention, I have to find out who she is and make her life a living hell," I giddily said. I needed to keep her on the phone so Edward wouldn't be able to talk to her yet. Hopefully, she would think that I really wanted her to be my lawyer.

Tanya quietly asked me, "Bella, did he say if he loved her?"

_You have got to be fucking kidding me._

"Seriously? That's what you're asking me? T, just tell me that you will represent me and help me get rid of the bastard," I demanded.

"Bella," she sighed. "I'm not really sure I should be your lawyer. I think I'm too close to this case to be objective. You and Edward are both my close friends," her voice trailed off nervously.

_Yeah. I know exactly how close you are to the case. So close that my fucking husband was in you earlier. _

I parked the car and started to walk up to Tanya's building. I quickly let myself in and started towards her door.

"Tanya. I'm your best friend. I've known you since we were in ballet classes at the age of five. We've done everything together. I helped you beat up Heidi Emerson when she tried to steal your tutu. Are you seriously telling me that you don't have my back?" I questioned as I knocked on her door.

"Can I think about it?" she asked as she walked towards her door.

The door opened to reveal Tanya in all her super-model glory. She was 5'7'' with strawberry blond hair and porcelain skin. Her bright blue eyes sparkled with surprise as I pulled back my right fist and punched her. I heard the crunch of her nose breaking underneath my hand as blood began to pour down her face.

"Yes, you can think about it, you fucking bitch," I yelled. "You can think about how you've been fucking my husband for the past six months. You can think about how you helped destroy my marriage and about how you've lost your best friend."

Tanya gasped in pain and clutched her nose as she bent over at the waist.

"What happened, Tanya? Did you run out of people to fuck in Chicago that you had to move onto my husband? I knew you were a fucking slut, but I never thought you'd stoop this low. I feel dirty just thinking about the possible STDs I could have. I'll be sure to let you know if my blood test comes back positive with anything," I sneered at her.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I never meant to hurt you, but I love him," she wheezed out.

_Please..._

Tanya had slept with roughly 25 guys since high school. I knew she thought that she was a slut and that men would always consider her used goods. She had a fear that she wasn't good enough and that someone would just settle for her. Prior to today, I would reassure her that she was fantastic. That someone would love her and not care about her number. If Tanya was going to have sex with my husband, I was going to hit her where it hurt. It was time to go in for the kill.

"Congratulations. He's all yours now. How does it feel to know that he wouldn't leave me for you and now you just have him by default? Deep down you know the way he feels about you. Or should I say how he doesn't feel about you? I mean, he did call out my name. You'd think with all your fucking experience you'd be able to get him off on your own. I guess he was just settling for the first available slut. Enjoy being second-best, Tanya," I flippantly stated. I could hear Tanya's apologies and stuttered explanations as I walked away from her door. I didn't care to hear her out. I was done.

-o-o-o-

My hand was throbbing as I left Tanya's building. It wasn't broken, but at this point I really didn't care. All I could think about was getting to a liquor store and to Rosalie.

Rosalie Hale had been my roommate freshman year at the University of Chicago. The two of us had gotten off to a rough start when we first started rooming together, but by the end of the first semester Rose became one of my closest friends. Hell- I guess she was now my best friend.

Rosalie was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen in person. She had naturally blond hair with bright blue eyes. At six feet tall, she could have been a Victoria's Secret model; however, Rosalie worked as a reported at the Chicago Tribune.

I showed up at Rose's door with a tear-streaked face, my suitcase, a bottle of Jose Cuervo, and a 12-pack of Corona's. Rose grabbed the liquor from me and told me to put my suitcase in the guest room. By the time I came out to the kitchen, she had poured two shots and was slicing a lime.

She waited until we downed our first shot to ask, "Is there a reason we're getting drunk Cancun style?"

This was what I loved about Rose. She was loyal and supportive, almost to a fault. She would start drinking with me without even knowing what was going on.

I took a shaky breath and answered, "Edward and I are getting a divorce."

"What?" Rosalie screeched. "Why?"

"The bastard has been fucking Tanya for about six months," I sobbed out.

"Mother-fucker," Rosalie seethed. "I never did like that slut."

"Which one?" I asked with a harsh laugh.

Rose just laughed and said, "Both."

"Then you will love how I made them both suffer tonight," I giggled. "I handcuffed Edward to our bed and tortured him with a vibrating cock ring."

Rose sprayed Corona out of her nose and started to cough. "Please tell me you left him tied up with the cock ring still on," she laughed.

"Oh no," I answered. "I left him with a bottle of lube so I could go break Tanya's nose."

Rose knew that Tanya had gotten a nose job in college. Tanya had said that the recovery was excruciating. Rose was crying she was laughing so hard at the thought that Tanya would have to go through that again.

Rose clinked her Corona bottle against mine and told me, "I knew those kick-boxing classes were a great idea."

Three shots and two Coronas later, a tired Jasper Hale came walking through the door. Jasper was Rosalie's older brother and I met him the first day of college when he was helping Rosalie move her stuff in. He was four years older than me and a first year law student at the University of Chicago. During my freshman year of college, I had a huge crush on the tall blond. Jasper was 6'4'' and lanky. He had just enough muscle definition to fill out a pair of jeans nicely. It also helped that he had a head full of blond ringlets and denim colored eyes. Until I met Edward, I used to call Jasper as my sexy lawyer. After graduating from law school, Jasper started work at my father's law firm, Miller & Swan. He was engaged to a hispanic beauty named Maria and had planned to marry her this coming summer. However, plans changed when Maria decided she didn't want to be married to a lawyer because of the long work hours. Jasper had moved in with Rose two months ago when Maria called off their engagement.

Jasper walked in the kitchen, took one look at us, and laughed. He took down a shot glass, poured himself a double of tequila, and asked, "What's the occasion?"

I drunkenly informed Jasper that I was getting divorced. A laughing Rosalie went on to tell Jasper how I tied up Edward and broke Tanya's nose.

After he stopped laughing, Jasper asked me, "Do you have a lawyer yet?" When I shook my head, he continued, "Well, I would be happy to take your case if you want. Just please, no more physical violence. We want to come off as the injured party, not the crazy party."

After promising Jasper I would refrain from further physical violence, I agreed that I would love to have him as my lawyer. Jasper was one of Chicago's best divorce lawyers. My father, Charlie, was constantly singing his praises and talking about how one day Jasper would make a great partner.

The technical talk about my divorce brought reality crashing down around me. I began to sob as I thought about how I would never sleep with Edward or go to lunch with Tanya again. I was having trouble reconciling that two of the most important people in my life were essentially dead to me.

Rose lead me back to the guest room and held me while I cried myself to sleep. Right before I drifted off, I murmured, "I love you, Rose. I'm so glad you were my roommate freshman year. I don't know what I would do without you."

My head was killing me when I awoke the next afternoon. I walked out into the kitchen to find Rose and Jasper sipping coffee and looking like I felt. I grabbed a cup of coffee before I sat at the table and put my head down on the cool surface.

Rose laughed and handed me two wrapped presents. "Happy Divorce!" she sang. "We thought that we each would get you something that you will need to survive this mess."

I unwrapped the first present to find a purple vibrator. I almost spit out my coffee as I incredulously asked Rose, "You bought me a vibrator?"

"Not just any vibrator," she replied. "A thrusting Rabbit vibrator. Guaranteed to blow your mind and make you cum."

_I'm definitely going to be needing that._

"Leave it to you to be looking out for my orgasms," I stated.

"Believe me, it's totally selfish. You're a complete bitch when you're not getting off," Rose said as she smirked at me. I gave her a light smack on the arm and reached for the second gift.

Inside the package was a moleskin journal and a pen. Jasper explained to me, "After listening to you and Rose plot all sorts of horrific things to get even with Edward and Tanya, I thought it might help you to write them down. Who knows? It might make you feel better. Not to mention it will help you keep your 'no violence' vow."

Little did Jasper know that he just gave me the means to start my first novel...

**(End of Flashback)**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was jarred out of my memories by the conference door opening. The air shifted as Edward walked into the room. He eyes were cast down as he sat across the table from me in his suit. The first thing I noticed was how tired he appeared. The dark circles under his eyes highlighted how pale and gaunt his face was looking. I wondered if he was getting any rest. When his lawyer addressed Jasper and I, Edward looked up at me. I was startled at the raw, pleading, and tortured look in his bright green eyes...

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I always appreciate constructive criticism. The bribe this week will be Rosalie's revenge for Edward and Tanya. All past bribes are located in the separate story, 'A Woman Scorned Outtakes' =)**

**Thank you to the wonderful VvDeadRosesvV for recommending this story. If you have not read "Breaking Trinity," go check it out. Snarlward is both sexy and steamy. www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5379823/13/Breaking_Trinity**

**Also, thank you to lovely spicynoodle for starting a forum for "A Woman Scorned"**

**Here's the link: www(dot)twilighted(dot)?f=44&t=7231&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=a+woman+scorned**


	4. Hell Hath No Fury Part 2

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to the respective author.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It just leads to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be THAT girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

**A/N: OK. I feel like I should warn you now that this chapter has a decent amount of angst. After this chapter, this story will get significantly lighter. Please stick with me and try to ride out the heartache.**

* * *

_Previously: The dark circles under his eyes highlighted how pale and gaunt his face was looking. I wondered if he was getting any rest. When his lawyer addressed Jasper and I, Edward looked up at me. I was startled at the raw, pleading, and tortured look in his bright green eyes..._

**2005 (3 Years Before Prologue)**

I was lost. All I could see was the myriad of emotions flashing in Edward's eyes. The amount of love, longing, regret, and pleading present in his expression was spellbinding. The rest of world fell away as we stared into each other's eyes. Edward frantically searched my face looking for an answer to an unknown question.

"Bella," he pleaded. "Please don't do this. There is still time. I am willing to do whatever it takes to fix this." He held out his hand out to me and continued his plea, "Please come home, love. Don't tell me it's really over. It can't be over. I'm begging you."

I just stared at his outstretched hand as tears filled my eyes. With my inaction, he realized my answer. His eyes snapped and instantly took on an aggressive, tortured look. I could see the storm raging within him. He was a caged animal trying to find a way out. His head thrashed back and forth and his body shook in denial. "No. No. No," he murmured.

As much as I wanted to hate Edward, my heart broke in that moment. I wanted nothing more than to be able to grab his hand and tell him that we could work through anything. However, I knew I wasn't able to honestly say that I could stay in our relationship. I was too hurt and I did not think that I had the capacity to forgive him. To walk out with him now would just be a cruel and prolonged goodbye.

Edward forcefully pushed away from the table and stood up. He looked anywhere but at me and hurriedly stated, "I'm sorry. Please give me a moment. I will be right back." In three quick steps, he was outside of the conference room.

Jasper squeezed my hand in support as the tears rolled down my face and softly asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

All I could do was nod my head. I was afraid that if I tried to speak I would lose control over my emotions. My heart was aching as I thought back to one of the first times Edward had pleaded with me for a reconciliation.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**(Flashback to 2 weeks after Bella left Edward)**

Edward had been calling me three times a day, every day since I had left him. Even though I never answered, he continued to call. It was getting to the point that I could tell what time it was based on the ringtone of my phone.

Therefore, I was surprised one morning that it was Charlie calling me and not Edward. Charlie told me that he and the Masens wished to speak with Edward and I. When I tried to resist, Charlie insisted that it was important that I come to the Masen's home for drinks and that my attendance was mandatory. All I knew was that I was not looking forward to seeing the Masens.

Edward's father, Edward Masen, Sr., is a prominent cardiologist in Chicago and his mother, Elizabeth Gold-Masen comes from a line of old money. The two of them together form a power-couple in Chicago elite society.

The first time Edward brought me home to meet his parents, Elizabeth made it clear that she didn't approve of me. The only reason she tolerated me was because of Charlie's status as a prominent lawyer. Our relationship was at best a love-hate relationship. She hated my lower social standing and 'new money', yet loved that I was involved with numerous charities.

Furthermore, she openly disapproved of Edward's and my friendship with Tanya and the Hales because they were not of the same social caliber as Edward. Although, she _was_ quick to point out that it was fine if _I_ was acquainted with them. As a joke, the five of us called her Momma Liz. She was aggressive and protective of Edward to a fault. No one, not even Edward, wanted to argue with Momma Liz when it came to matters that involved her only child.

If Edward would let her, Momma Liz would run his life. It seemed like Edward was constantly having to defend his life and choices to his mother. He would fight for what he wanted and would constantly remind Momma Liz that his life was off limits to her. However, a knock-down, drag-out fight would occur each time she didn't agree with his life choices. As punishment, she would threaten to add stipulations to her will and would refuse to speak to Edward for weeks on end. I personally looked forward to the weeks of silence, but I knew they were tough on Edward. My instinct told me that we were headed into the mother-of-all-Momma-Liz-fights this evening.

I drove my Lexus up to the front of the Masen mansion and noticed Edward driving up behind me in his Volvo. I took a deep breath before getting out of the car and heading over to meet him. I wasn't happy to see Edward, but I had a feeling that he was going to be my only ally tonight.

"Do you know why we've been summoned?" I questioned him.

He swallowed hard and said, "I would guess the news article about of the divorce, but Mom didn't state a specific reason."

Earlier in the month, Rosalie had tipped off the Chicago Tribune about our impending divorce and the affair. The paper had contacted Liz for confirmation and a comment. Liz refused to comment and immediately called Edward to yell at him about negative publicity. When Edward called and confronted Rosalie about the article, she tricked him into giving a risqué quote to the paper. The Tribune ran the article and included Edward's quote. When I read the article I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants.

I snorted out, "Yeah, I'd be a little scared of Momma Liz too if I told the Tribune that an 'affair or any kinky sex is my business'."

Edward glared at me and I could see that he was trying to come up with a retort.

"Although my favorite is that Jacob Black's gossip blog, '_Black_-Tie Affair?!?', quoted you as saying 'I like kinky sex' and then came up with the many ways you could be kinky. Strap-ons, asphyxiation, extreme role play, and the list goes on..," my voice trailed off into a fit of giggles.

"Did you see that picture he posted of you with a mickey-mouse hat made out of sex toys? He called you a Kinky Sex-keteer! God, that was brilliant," I laughed out.

I was shaking in not-so-silent laughter. Edward, on the other hand, was getting pissed. There was a blush at the tips of his ears that gave away his embarrassment over the situation.

Yet, I continued on, "I especially liked that he thinks you would be the perfect little Sub! If only they knew..," I forced out between laughs.

Edward's face turned bright red as I continued to laugh at him. I clutched my sides and bent over, trying to catch my breath.

Edward practically yelled at me, "We have only done three scenes in our entire marriage! That does not mean I am a Sub or that I only like kinky sex!" He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed out, "Besides, who cares if I like to have kinky sex with my wife?"

The w-word extinguished all humor I found in the situation. I walked up to Edward, patted his face, and condescendingly said, "I don't think it's the wife part that's the problem, darling."

His face fell as he realized my playful mood was over. We walked the rest of the way up to the house in silence. He opened the front door and followed me into the Masen home. "Welcome to Hell...," I whispered.

-o-o-o-

There were no greetings when Edward and I walked into the foyer. Liz looked up at us, gestured towards the parlor, and commanded, "Sit."

_What are we? Dogs?_

Edward and I sat across from Charlie, Liz, and Edward, Sr. I was waiting for the shit-storm, because from the look on Momma Liz's face, it was coming. Edward must have sensed it too because his back was strait and his shoulders were tensed, as if in anticipation for a fight.

I glanced at Charlie and saw that he looked nervous. As I was about to ask him what was going on, Liz spoke, "So the Tribune informed me that you are getting a divorce. Edward already told me that he was having an affair and that you left him, Bella."

I nodded.

She took a breath and continued, "The three of us have spoken about it and want the two of you to reconsider the divorce. The negative press this has already caused is unacceptable. I have spoken to a Ms. Mallory at the Tribune and have worked out a deal with her to guarantee there will be no more articles on your marriage."

I asked about the deal and Momma Liz lazily replied, "I have guaranteed that the Tribune will have exclusive access to all Gold-Masen events for the next two years. Seeing as we normally do not invite the media to events, she jumped on the offer."

_Rose will love that._

Liz then steeled her voice and addressed her son, "Edward, unless you want to be cut-out of our will entirely, you will stop seeing your mistress and make a concentrated effort to save your marriage."

Edward took a breath and started to respond, but Momma Liz held up her hand and interrupted him. She turned towards me and plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Now, Bella, I realize this is a tough situation for you, but this type of thing happens all the time. There is no need to end a marriage because of an unfortunate event," Momma Liz chided.

_You fake bitch..._

I took an angry breath and responded, "Liz, a six-month affair is not an unfortunate event. Besides, Edward said he might love Tanya. Maybe he wants to be with her now."

Liz's eyes flashed as she looked over to Edward. Her tone was venomous as she said, "I have taken care of Tanya. There is no need for her to be around the two of you, unless Edward loves her. Is what Bella said true, Edward?"

I quickly interjected, "What do you mean you took care of Tanya?"

Liz waved her hand dissuasively and answered, "I threatened to report her the Bar Association."

_Harsh. I kinda like it..._

Momma Liz then turned her head back towards Edward and repeated, "Edward?"

"Yes, it was a six-month affair. No, I do not love Tanya. I have not seen her since the night Bella left me. I have no intention of ever seeing her again. I want our marriage to work," he calmly stated.

Liz clapped her hands and replied, "It is all settled then. The two of you will reconcile. We expect you to attend the Ronald McDonald House charity next week to assure the press that you are not divorcing."

_Excuse me?_

"No. It is not settled. We are still getting a divorce," I almost yelled. "Dad, aren't you going to say something? I'm your daughter. Don't you want what is best for me?"

Charlie sighed and replied, "Bells, I do want what is best for you. In this situation, it is best for everyone if you tried to make your marriage work. You are no longer a child. You made your bed, it's time to lie in it."

_That traitorous bastard. _

Liz quickly interjected, "I had a feeling you might be immature about this, Bella." She handed me a copy of our prenup. "You will notice the non-disclosure agreement on the last page. You will comply with this or face serious penalties. Just so there are no hard feelings, we will add an additional $2 million to your divorce settlement if you and your little friends will keep quiet until the divorce is finalized. That means no more news or blog articles, Bella."

I quickly stood up and gathered my things. "This conversation is over," I stated. "I'm sorry that you are disappointed about the divorce, but it is happening. I am not the one who had an affair, do _not_ make me out to be the bad guy here."

-o-o-o-

I stormed out of the house and towards my car. I could not believe those fuckers, let alone my father!

I reached my Lexus and was pulling my keys out of my purse when I felt Edward's hands on my shoulders. He roughly turned me around so that my back was on the door of my car. He looked at me with dark eyes and roughly spoke, "Damn-it, Bella. I cannot watch you walk away from me again."

"Well, I would never have walked away from you if you wouldn't have fucked Tanya!" I spat at him.

His shoulders slumped under the weight of his guilt. He ran his fingers through his hair and calmly said, "I need to be with you, Bella. I have done everything wrong that I could possibly do, but I love you. I still want to spend forever with you. If I could, I would turn back time and I would have never fucked Tanya."

_I wish you could too..._

I pushed him and yelled, "But you can't, can you?" Edward's face registered shock as he stumbled backwards.

Undeterred by his stumbling, I threw my arms in the air and continued to yell, "Why the hell did you do it? Why her? Why weren't we enough?"

Edward took a ragged breath and answered me, "There's not a reason that could even come close to excusing my actions. All I can say is that I was lonely and overwhelmed. I was working long hours at the hospital and you were working as well. It felt like we never saw each other. When we finally did see each other, all we did was plan the future or talk about expectations."

He loudly swallowed and continued, "That day, I was working on a case with a kid who was dying and needed to see the pediatric cardiologist. You know that I had always wanted to do my fellowship in pediatric cardiology. That case made me recognize that I wanted to work with kids, but I didn't want to work specialize in cardiology anymore. I realized that I was pursuing cardiology to make my father happy. I started to wonder if I even wanted to be a doctor. That realization caused me to panic."

_How did I not know this?_

"Everything that I had been working towards for the last 10 years was suddenly not what I wanted anymore. The future was so uncertain and I needed you. You always have a way of talking sense into me. I was at the bar because you weren't home. Tanya was there and she persuaded me that the future would work itself out. She told me to live in the moment."

_Of course she would tell you that._

"I'm ashamed to say the affair continued after that night. I couldn't handle talking about the future and she didn't ask me to. It wasn't until a few weeks ago, when I determined that pediatric oncology was where I was meant to be, that I calmed down."

"Remember how I came home and told you about the case with Madeline, the cancer patient? I felt such passion about working with that little girl. It was that case that showed me what my fellowship should truly be in, pediatric oncology. I could finally plan for the future again without feeling like a failure."

"At that point, I was sick with myself. I was using Tanya to block out reality and dull my fears. I never loved her, I just loved the way she made me feel. I wanted to end it; however, the affair had gotten so out of hand that I wasn't sure how to end it without anyone getting hurt," he explained.

I harshly laughed and crossed my arms over my chest as my fury rose.

Edward must have noticed my change in demeanor because he quickly continued, "I was scared about what she would do if I just called it off. I never wanted you to find out. I knew it would destroy us and I couldn't handle that."

_You should have thought about that six months ago._

He tugged on his hair and said, "I should have talked to you about my fears. I should have put more effort into us. It wasn't fair to expect you to be there for me if I didn't tell you. It was hypocritical of me to be angry about your work hours when you have put up with my long work hours for years."

_No shit..._

"When you walked away from me the other night, I realized that I that I had thrown away our future. My insecurities led me to make a decision that destroyed our lives," he said as he desperately flailed his arms about.

"I know I don't deserve it, but I will do anything in my power if you will just try to forgive me. Hell, you don't even have to forgive me, just please try to work this out with me. Please don't let my stupid actions end a nine-year relationship. You're my best friend, Bella. You're my lover, my soul mate, and the woman I want to be the mother of my children," he forcefully blurted out.

He ran his hands over his face and tugged on his bronze hair. He looked at me and pleaded, "I will do anything. Hit me. Punch me. Yell at me. Hurt me in anyway you want. Just please, please come home."

_Tempting..._

I tried to see things from Edward's point of view and answered, "You should have let me in. I can't imagine how scary it must have been to think you were doing the wrong thing with your life."

I looked up into Edward's earnest face and continued, "I would like to say this changes things, Edward. We both made some mistakes, but I didn't look outside of our marriage for answers."

"I know, love. I am so sorry. Never again will I cheat on you. I love you and I really want to get past this," Edward said passionately.

"You say you love me, but love isn't something you just say, Edward. It is shown by acting in the best interests of those you profess to love. You don't have a six-month affair when you love your wife," I softly stated.

I took a deep breath and said, "Edward, it's scary as fuck walking away from you, but I'm not sure I can forgive you. Even if I could forgive you, I doubt I could ever trust you again. That lack of trust would tear us apart and destroy us in the end."

I tried to keep my voice steady as I continued, "I'm sorry, Edward. You are all I've ever wanted, but I can't come home. I love you, but it's over. Have your lawyer contact Jasper."

**(End of Flashback)**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Edward reentered the conference room with red-rimmed eyes. After he sat down, Jasper passed a copy of our papers to Edward and his lawyer, James Laurent.

Jasper looked at James and began, "I assume you have had time to look over the papers I delivered to you earlier in the week?"

When James nodded, Jasper continued, "The prenup between Mr. and Mrs. Masen determines that each party will retain their trust funds and all previously owned property. Per previous arrangements, Mr. Masen will pay Mrs. Masen: $10 million for being fully vested in their marriage; a $5 million penalty for infidelity; and an additional $2 million dollars for keeping the divorce quiet.

Jasper took a breath and continued, "Per the papers I had delivered to you last week, we want 50 percent of the market value of all joint assets, not including the Lexus SUV and Volvo. Should Mr. Masen choose to retain any possessions, we ask that he pay Mrs. Masen 50 percent of the appraised value. Do you accept this offer?"

Edward looked up at me and asked, "Why don't you want anything besides the Lexus and money?"

Jasper answered Edward's question for me, "My client may not intend to stay in the Chicago area. It would be simpler for her to liquidate all assets immediately."

Edward's eyes widened and he looked at me in shock. When he composed himself, he looked at James and nodded.

James spoke, "We looked at the paperwork you had delivered and agree that it is a fair settlement. We will settle the transfer of funds as described in the document."

Edward took the papers from Jame's hands, looked at me and said, "I'll give you whatever you want. It's the least I can do at this point."

He initialed on the appropriate lines and flipped to the last page of our divorce papers. He looked up and smiled at me with what he must have thought was his crooked grin. It just came across as a watery grimace. With a fluid and hurried motion Edward signed his elegant signature across the final line.

Edward gently passed the papers across the table to me. I took the pen from him and initialed IMM next to his EAM on each page. He held up the first pages for me as I reached the bottom of the pile. My heart was in my throat and my hands were shaking as I signed for the last time, Isabella M. Masen.

I looked up and locked my gaze on Edward's red-rimmed eyes. I slid the papers towards Jasper without breaking eye-contact with Edward. I was briefly aware that Jasper and James were standing and shaking hands. Edward mirrored my actions as I pushed away from the conference table.

Not taking my eyes off of his, I slowly glided around the side of the table towards Edward. I held out my hand to shake his, but he had other ideas. Edward forcefully grabbed my hand and pulled my body towards his. Next thing I knew, I was in a tight embrace and surrounded by the scent that was uniquely Edward.

His hands traced up my arms and he twisted his right hand into my hair at the base of my neck. He roughly pulled my head towards his and kissed me. I felt his tongue trace my bottom lip and I opened my mouth to him. Our tongues quickly met and wrestled for dominance. It was a kiss of desperation, heartbreak, and goodbye. For a moment, I felt as if I were home and I relished the feeling. I committed to memory the taste of him and the feel of his arms around me. I wound my fingers in his messy bronze hair and threw all of me into that last, perfect kiss.

We broke apart when we needed to breathe. He continued to hold me in his arms and rested his forehead against mine. "Where will you go?" he whispered.

In that moment, I realized that I didn't know where I would go from here. Literally or Figuratively.

"I don't know... San Francisco?" I whispered back. The tears began to run down my face as I realized that when we broke apart, it would be for forever.

He ran his hands up my neck and gently cupped my face. His thumbs brushed the tears away from my cheekbones and he reverently whispered, "I'm so sorry. I don't know if I will ever forgive myself for doing this to you, for doing this to us." His voice broke as he continued, "It was always you. It will always only be you for me." He lightly pecked my lips and released me from his embrace. His hand traced down my arm until he reached my hand and he gave my fingers a quick squeeze as he pulled away. When my fingertips lost contact with his fingertips, he whispered "I love you." With a watery smile, he walked out the door and out of my life.

-o-o-o-

As the door closed behind Edward, I caught my reflection in the glass. I didn't recognize the woman staring back at me. She was too thin and her eyes were flat. She looked like a broken woman. In that moment, I was angry that I let a man affect me to this extent.

I promised myself that the dissolution of my marriage with Edward would not break me. When I left this room I would no longer be a weak, devastated woman. I would be the strong woman I knew was inside of me somewhere...

* * *

**A/N2: Ok. I have put on my big-girl panties and I am ready for the reviews. This chapter's bribe is a Tanya POV. If you haven't been getting the bribes let me know. (Please make sure you allow Private Messages. If not, I can't send you anything.) The next chapter will be up this weekend. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes" =)**

**Recommendations:**

**-VvDeadRosesvV's "Breaking Trinity"- It's primitive and fun! www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5379823/13/Breaking_Trinity**

**-ZepherSky's "Across the Hall"- It's now a completed story so you don't have to wait for updates! www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/5080237/1/**


	5. San Francisco

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It just leads to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be THAT girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

**A/N1: Sorry about not posting yesterday. I was having some serious technical difficulties. The next scheduled update will occur on Sunday, November 22.**

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**2005 (3 Years Before Prologue)**

Leaning against the rail of the cruise ship, I admired the view of the Golden Gate Bridge as I waited for Rose to bring me another glass of wine. Rose and I had been in San Francisco for almost a week now. With the divorce finalized, I needed a distraction. After doing some research, Rose and I decided that San Francisco was the perfect place to indulge in some retail therapy and the California sun.

The first few days in San Francisco, we spent shopping in Union Square. I fell in love with the new Monogram Double Jeu Neo-Alma purse in Louis Vuitton. Although Rose gave me shit for spending over four grand on a purse, I determined that it was a divorce present to myself. Besides, technically, it was two purses. After spending a ridiculous amount of money shopping, Rose and I vowed that we were not to go back to the high-end stores in Union Square for the rest of our trip.

Today Rose and I had participated in a wine-tasting tour in Napa Valley. We took a shuttle up to the vineyards to taste the wines and were taking a cruise ship back down San Francisco Bay to avoid traffic. The bar aboard the ship was serving the wines we had previously tasted and it was safe to say that both Rosalie and I were a bit tipsy.

I was looking over towards Alcatraz, when a glass of Chardonnay appeared in front of my face and startled me. Rose giggled out, "Sorry to break your trance. What were you thinking about?"

"I was just admiring the view. I'm so glad we decided to come here. I definitely needed the break," I replied.

Rose looked over at me, appraising my face and mood. She must have noted my melancholy expression because she softly asked, "Bella, how are you really doing?"

_I'm miserable and scared...._

I took a deep breath and answered, "I don't know. I'm relieved the divorce is over, but at the same time, I'm angry. I am so mad at Edward, Tanya, and Charlie. The three of them were supposed to be my family."

"I can't get over that Charlie wanted me to stay married to someone who would cheat on me. What kind of parent does that? I know that he's concerned about the negative publicity, but he's a lawyer. You'd think he would be happy that he drafted Edward and I a prenup. I don't know, I just miss my mom. It's at times like these that I know she would have been in my corner," I sighed.

My mother, Renee, died when I was eight. She was waiting at a crosswalk in downtown Chicago when a drunk driver veered off the street and hit her. She was killed upon impact. I had really struggled with her death as I grew up. Charlie was hardly home so I latched on to Tanya and she became the sister I never had. That fact alone is what made her betrayal sting the most.

As I looked over at Rose, I realized that my true family was standing next to me. I leaned over and bumped her with my shoulder as I said, "Good thing I've got my real family here, huh? I guess I should thank Edward and Tanya for making me see who's really important in my life."

Rose gave me a wink and teased, "Yeah. You're one lucky bitch."

_I definitely am..._

-o-o-o-

The next morning, I stood and looked out the window of our two-bedroom suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. I was enjoying my cup of coffee, when the moleskin journal that Jasper had given me caught my eye. I had carried that book and a pen with me everywhere I went. Whenever I felt a strong emotion or had a random thought, I would write it in my journal.

The leather on the outside was creased and worn from where I had cherished it for the last six months. That journal held all my thoughts about Edward, Tanya, the divorce... my life, in general. With the divorce finalized, I didn't know what to do with the journal. Part of me wanted to chuck the book in the fireplace of our suite; however, another part of me wanted to hold on to the last remnant of my old life. In my head, I started to debate the pros and cons of destroying the journal.

I was drawn out of my internal debate when Rose entered the common room of our suite. "Good Morning, Sunshine," Rose sang out.

Rosalie Hale was never a morning person; however, it always amazed me how cheerful she could be on the mornings that she was excited.

"Someone's excited for a spa day," I teased.

The two of us had decided to spend the day in the spa before heading out for a night on the town. The spa at the Four Seasons was luxurious and exactly what we needed after marathon shopping and visiting vineyards. To thank Rose for being my rock these last few months, I booked us both massages, mani-pedi's, and waxes.

"You bet your ass I am," Rose replied as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "I plan on getting a bikini wax and massage to gear up for tonight. I am in serious need of a mind-blowing orgasm."

I almost spit out my coffee as I laughed out, "Rose, I don't think they offer happy-ending massages at the Four Seasons Spa."

"Ha, Ha," she sarcastically replied. "I meant I was going to pick someone up tonight, smart-ass." Her face relaxed into a dreamy look as she continued, "Someone who knows how to fuck me long, hard, and rough."

_That sounds fan-fucking-tastic._

I quickly ran my hands through my hair as I fantasized about rough, hard, animalistic sex. I whined out, "God, I haven't had great sex in such a long time. It's been over six months, Rose!"

She just smirked at me and cheekily said, "I think our mission tonight should be to get you laid."

I just laughed as we changed and made our way downstairs to the spa.

-o-o-o-

Later that evening, Rose and I were getting ready for our night on the town. We planned to go out for sushi before heading over to a danceclub in Union Square.

Rose looked fantastically sexy in a low-cut, red halter dress that ended mid thigh. Her hair was straightened and hung right past her shoulders. When she put on her zebra print stilettos, I knew she was serious about finding someone to go home with tonight.

I on the other hand was nervous. I was searching through the wardrobe I brought with me and was unable to find a suitable outfit so I called Rose in to help.

Rose handed me a purple, strapless mini-dress and asked, "Are you alright Bella? You look nervous."

"I am nervous," I replied. "I haven't been with anyone besides Edward in almost a decade. What if I forgot how to flirt? What if guys won't find me desirable anymore?"

I sat down on the edge of the bed and put my head in my hands. "I'm going to end up alone. I'm going to be that crazy old woman with twenty different vibrators," I whined out.

Rosalie laughed and replied, "Bella, you're fuck-hot. If I was into girls, I'd totally fuck you. Hell, even I will want to fuck you tonight if you wear this dress without a bra."

I lightly smacked Rosalie on the arm and laughed. As she left me to get dressed, Rosalie called out over her shoulder, "Seriously, don't wear a bra."

I slid on the dress, a black lace thong, and a pair of silver peep-toe stilettos. Spinning in the mirror, I determined Rosalie was right. There was no need to be nervous about tonight.

_I am definitely fuck-hot and fuckable.... Right?_

-o-o-o-

Rose and I sauntered up to the entrance of Ruby Skye and gave our names to the bouncer. We had reserved a VIP booth for the night and were looking forward to having some fun. The dance club was full of people and music was blaring. As we waded through the crowd, I looked around the club. It was a large open room with a second level. There were roman columns lining the walls along with booths and nooks.

Our booth was up on the mezzanine level where there was a separate, smaller dancefloor and a bar. On our way to the upstairs bar, Rose caught the eye of a tall blond. He was built like an Abercrombie model and exactly Rose's type. I leaned over and loudly spoke in her ear, "Go have fun. Text me if you leave."

Rose blew me a kiss as she sauntered over to the blond. She leaned into him, ran her hand up his chest, and said something in his ear. By the way he smiled down at her, I knew I wouldn't be seeing Rosalie until tomorrow morning.

_Lucky bitch...._

I made my way over to the bar and ordered a whiskey sour. After I paid the bartender, I turned around to survey the dancefloor. Leaning against the bar, I caught the eye of one of the sexiest men I had ever seen. He was at least six feet tall with broad shoulders and muscular forearms. His olive skin complimented his brown hair and hazel eyes. He blatantly looked over my body and shot me a sultry grin. I replied with my own sexy smile before I turned back around to the bar.

_Breathe Bella. Don't give off desperate vibes. Men can sense that shit._

I was already feeling the affect of the alcohol when I ordered another whiskey sour. As I was about to pay for my drink, a hand slid a twenty on the bar and a smooth, low voice said, "Allow me."

I spun around to see the sexy man I had been watching. As I was staring at him, his full lips curled into a smirk and he said, "I'm Demetri."

I curled my fingers around his forearm, leaned up, and purred in his ear, "Thank you for the drink, Demetri. I'm Bella." As I spoke, I made sure my lips lightly grazed his earlobe.

"Do you come to Ruby Skye often, Bella?" Demetri inquired.

I almost laughed at his over-used pick-up line. Instead, I took a sip of my drink and suggestively answered, "No. I'm on vacation here in San Franciso. I'm just looking to have a good time."

He cockily smiled and answered, "I hope you have fun tonight."

_That smile already has me wanting to drop my panties._

"I'm sure I will," I countered as I placed my hand on his arm.

"Would you like to dance?" Demetri asked. I finished my drink and nodded.

Demetri placed his hand on my lower back and guided me towards the upstairs dancefloor. When we reached the side of the floor near the roman columns, I felt his fingers wrap around my hips as he pulled me roughly into him. My back was up against his chest as we began to move together. He slowly slid his hands from my hips to the front of my stomach and ground his hips into mine. As we moved to the beat, I could feel the length of him rubbing up against my ass.

Demetri and I continued to grind and thrust into each other as I noticed a secluded nook behind one of the roman columns. My mind began to wander and imagine all the dirty things I could do to him while hiding in that nook. It had been so long since I had sex with a real dick, that I was getting excited at just the thought of him in me. My Rabbit had been treating me well over the last few months, but Demetri up against me was causing me to soak my panties.

Demetri's hands moved lower down to below my belly button as he started to kiss on my neck. I lifted my hands above my head and gripped his hair as I pushed my ass into him harder. He moaned as he started to trace my hip bones with his fingers.

I threw my head back to give Demetri more access to my neck as he slid his hands down to my bare upper thighs. I ran my hands down his arms until my fingers were interlaced with his. Demetri tightened his grip around my right hand and pushed me towards the secluded nook.

Once we were in the nook, Demetri spun me around and pushed me up against the wall. We couldn't see the dancefloor, but I could feel the vibrations of the music. The fact that anyone could catch us back here was making me tingle in anticipation.

Demetri pressed his body up against mine and attacked my mouth with his. He impatiently thrust his tongue into my mouth as I wound my hands in his hair. Our tongues twisted around each other and danced with desire.

Demetri's right hand traced over my breast and lightly squeezed it through the material of my dress. I moaned and bucked my hips into his. He kissed down my neck and lightly kissed my collar bones. He continued to grope my breast and kiss down my chest until he was at the top of my mini dress. Demetri pulled down the top of my dress and sucked my nipple into his mouth. I moaned at the sensation and started to roughly tear at his shirt.

_I need more._

I ran my hands up his back and dug my fingernails into his shoulder blades. He hissed as his hands moved down my body to grab my ass. I hitched my right leg around his waist and ground my center against his hard-on.

_Am I really going to fuck a stranger against a wall, in a club? _

He ran his right hand up my inner thigh, under my dress, and grazed my lace covered core. His fingers pushed under the wet fabric and traced along my slit.

"Fuck," Demetri growled. "You're so wet for me."

His thumb expertly circled my clit as he pushed two fingers inside me. My hips wildly bucked against his touch.

_Yes... I'm definitely going to fuck him._

His fingers pumped inside of me as I thrust my hips against his hand. I cried out as Demetri curled his fingers around my g-spot. He continued to finger me as I hurriedly unbuttoned his pants.

I sucked on his neck and moaned into his ear, "Please tell me you have a condom."

His pants began to fall and I stuck my hand in his boxers. I stroked his thick, hard length and he groaned out, "Fuck! I don't have one on me."

_Damnit!_

I continued to stroke his cock in his boxers as he finger-fucked me. I twisted my hand up and down his shaft, paying special attention to the ridge below his head. He started to thrust in my hand as I picked up the pace and ran my thumb over his leaking tip.

_God, I've missed men...._

Demetri kissed me hard as his fingers began to move forcefully inside of me. I writhed in ecstasy as he curled his fingers around my g-spot one last time. My pussy clamped down on his fingers and I came undone. As I cried out his name, Demetri came in my hand.

_Fuck me. That felt amazing._

I wiped my hand against the wall and adjusted my dress. Demetri was fastening his pants as he asked me, "Do you want to get out of here?"

Now that I had proved to myself that I was still desirable, I didn't feel a need to have a random one-night stand. "Sorry, I have an early flight," I lied.

I grabbed my purse off the floor and gave Demetri a kiss on the cheek. I smiled at him and said, "Thanks. I needed that."

"Anytime," he replied with a grin.

I walked out of the nook and towards the door of the club. As the bouncer hailed a cab for me, I checked my phone. Sure enough, Rosalie had left earlier with the blond.

-o-o-o-

I entered the suite in a daze. I had just allowed a stranger to finger-fuck me in a nightclub. If Demetri had a condom in his possession, I would have allowed him to fuck me against a wall, in a public place, within an hour of meeting me. All because I was scared that I was no longer desirable.

_Thank God, Demetri didn't have a condom._

Fuck Edward and Tanya for making me doubt myself. I am not going to turn into a woman who sleeps around just because she is having bouts of low self-esteem. I have always been selective about who I have sex with, and I will continue to be selective. When I fuck someone, it will be because I want to. I will not fuck someone to prove a point to myself or my bastard of an ex-husband.

As I made this vow to myself, I caught sight of my moleskin journal. I opened it up and added my thoughts about rebound sex at the bottom of one of the pages. I moved to put the book down and then thought better of it. I still had yet to decide whether or not I was going to destroy the journal.

I poured myself a glass of wine, opened the moleskin journal to the front page, and began to read. The writing in the inside was hurried, frantic, rushed, and crazy. Depending on my emotions at the time, the ink would be smeared by tears or smudged from where I was writing in a frenzy.

I was prepared to cry over my feelings of loss and anger; however, I was not prepared for the level of sheer craziness that I found inside. The book contained the revenge filled ramblings of a crazy lady. I started to laugh at my ridiculous plotting and had a momentary flash of brilliance.

-o-o-o-

Rose entered the suite the next morning to find me sitting on the floor in last night's dress with my hair piled on top of my head. I was scribbling furiously in my moleskin journal and laughing like a lunatic.

She slowly approached me and cautiously asked, "Bella, are you okay?"

"No Rose," I laughed out. "I am not okay. I am bat-shit crazy. But most of all, I'm a genius."

Rose sat down next to me trying to determine what was wrong. She must have thought that I had a mental breakdown because she cautiously asked, "How was your night last night?"

"Insane," I replied. "I met this gorgeous man and almost fucked him in one of the nooks at the club."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah. I had my dress around my waist, as he sucked on my nipples and finger-fucked the hell out of me. The only reason I didn't fuck him against the wall was because we didn't have a condom," I laughed out.

The shocked look on Rose's face made me laugh harder. I knew how un-Bella-like last night was. I gasped out between laughs, "How was your guy?"

She quickly answered, "He was alright. Definitely not the hard fuck I wanted, but still noteworthy."

Rose then caught a glance of the torn-out pages of paper surrounding my moleskin journal. "What are you doing Bella?" she asked.

"Oh my God, Rose. I started reading my journal last night and realized how fucking crazy I am," I said.

She cocked an eyebrow in my direction like I was crazy. "No really," I laughed out. "I ramble on for pages about what I want to do to Edward and Tanya for betraying me. This crazy revenge plan of mine is pure genius."

"Listen to this, 'I am going to buy a pint of every color of neon paint I can find, just because Edward hates neon colors. While he is at work, I am going to pour the pints of paint on the exterior and interior of his Aston Martin Vanquish. Maybe I can figure out how to do a tie-dye pattern? Or would a splatter pattern piss him off more? Maybe I should do a tie-dye pattern on the Vanquish and a splatter pattern on the Volvo. That way I won't have to decide.'," I quoted.

"I was really concerned about the pattern of the paint. Like that's the most important part," my voice trailed off.

Rose smirked and asked, "Okay, so we've established that you weren't all there when you found out about the affair. What does that have to do with these stacks of paper, Bella?"

"I'm turning my journal into a book," I stated. "I've always wanted to write instead of edit someone else's work. As I read through my journal last night, I realized that it's a fantastic outline for a book about a woman scorned."

Rose's voice wavered as she questioned, "Are you sure, Bella?"

I nodded my head and handed Rosalie the journal. I pointed to the middle of the second page and said, "Start reading here."

Rosalie began to scan the pages of my journal. Every now and then I would hear a giggle or a gasp. After ten minutes, she looked up at me and said, "Holy shit, Bella. You really are fucking crazy! I can't believe you thought of all of this."

"I know," I laughed. "The book is practically writing itself. Here's the fun part, I named the cheating husband, Masen Edwards."

"What about the mistress?" Rosalie snorted out.

"Well, I did promise Tanya that if I ever wrote a book, I would name a character after her. Now I just have to think of a great fictional last name," I giggled.

Rosalie just shook her head and laughed, "Remind me to never piss you off, Bella."

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**A/N: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. The bribe for this week is an excerpt from Bella's book, "A Woman Scorned." Also, I posted past bribes in a separate story titled, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**


	6. I'll Be Seeing You

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It just leads to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be **_**THAT**_** girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

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**2005 (3 Years Before Prologue)**

The month following the San Francisco trip was spent settling into a new routine. My initial plan had involved looking for an apartment to rent; however, Rose offered to let me live with her. I was looking forward to being her roommate again and the rent was significantly cheaper than any apartments I had seen. Not to mention, living with her and Jasper helped keep away the loneliness I now felt as a divorcee. Even though Edward and I had our problems, I truly did miss our home. We had lived together for seven years and it was difficult to adjust to not sharing the same living space. We had routines and quirks as a couple that I found myself missing. You would think that I would have dealt with this issue during the six-month separation prior to the divorce; however, it wasn't until the divorce was finalized that I finally started to feel as if the relationship was over.

Not only was I missing my home, I was missing Edward. Not the Edward I divorced, but the Edward I married. He seemed to haunt me everywhere in Chicago. I could not leave the house without being assaulted by prior memories or thoughts. If I could pick a song to describe my life during that month it would be, Billie Holiday's 'I'll Be Seeing You.' The song was constantly on repeat in my head as I traveled around Chicago.

_....I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places. That this heart of mine embraces, All day through...._

Riding the L, I would see Edward and I huddled together in a seat my freshman year of college. We would be laughing and cuddling, as we rode around the city. He would kiss my cheek and tell me he adored me.

_....In that small cafe; The park across the way; The children's carousel; The chestnut trees; The wishing well...._

I would leave the office to go get coffee at the cafe on the corner and would see Edward and I sitting at our table on the patio. He used to meet me for lunch on days that he didn't have to go into the hospital. We would order sandwiches or soup and catch-up on what was occurring in our lives. Now I couldn't even set foot in the cafe without glancing at our table and wishing he were there waiting for me.

_....I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day; In everything that's light and gay; I'll always think of you that way...._

As I passed by Millennium Park, I would remember the summer day that Edward and I went to see 'The Bean.' We made faces as we took our picture in the reflection. That picture sat on our mantle until I packed it away when I moved out. I could still see how bright Edward's smile was as his bronze hair shone in the sun.

_....I'll find you in the morning sun, and when the night is new. I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you...._

As I strolled around Grant Park, I saw Edward and I dancing in front of Buckingham Fountain. We had gone to dinner one evening and started dancing in front of the fountain when it was illuminated for twilight. Edward hummed 'The Way You Look Tonight' in my ear as we swayed in front of the fountain. As the song ended, Edward got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. Now, whenever I pass that fountain I see him holding me in his arms, spinning me around in glee, after I said yes.

_....I'll be seeing you in every lovely summer's day; In everything that's light and gay; I'll always think of you that way...._

Bronze hair and bright green eyes haunted me everyday. The bittersweet memories would leave me with teary smiles; however, I was glad I could find a way to remember the Edward I loved. As I mourned our relationship, I was having problems finding the anger to write my book. My resolve was waning and being replaced with yearning. I wanted to be with my the love of my life once again. I was afraid my book was going to turn into a memoir of lost love instead of a tale of revenge.

One afternoon, I entered Saks Fifth Avenue and was assaulted by an image of a bronze haired man. Only this time, it was not imaginary. Edward was leaning against the men's cologne counter and waiting for the sale's associate to ring up his purchase. From across the aisle, I could see that he was buying his signature scent and I was caught up in memories of the way he smelt as he held me in his arms. Edward turned around from the counter and I was able to see his face. I hid behind a rack and observed him as he walked towards the exit. He looked tired and drained. Unlike the Edward of my memories, he was not happy or content. This man carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He was the man I divorced. The man who cheated on me and broke my heart.

And just like that, I remembered the Edward I love no longer exists....

-o-o-o-

After seeing Edward in Saks, I stopped reminiscing about past memories. I still thought of Edward every day, but I did not feel melancholy any longer. Instead, I found myself to be invigorated and possessed by my book idea. The only thing I was concerned about was the non-disclosure agreement I had signed. I asked Jasper to look it over and let me know if he could see any problems with me attempting to publish my book when it was finished. Jasper said he would look into the matter and get back to me.

The book was coming along and I found myself impatient for the evenings so I could work on it. I was tired of having to stop writing to work on my editing. After some soul searching, I determined that I no longer wished to be stuck in a career that I hated. So I quit my job and started to write full-time.

During the days, I would take my MacBook out with me and write in cafes or coffee shops. Being around people helped keep me focused on my writing and the people-watching distracted me when I had writer's block. One fateful morning I was writing in Starbucks when I heard, "Bella?" called out.

I looked up into the bright blue eyes of Tanya's sister, Kate Denali. Kate was a beautiful woman with bright blue eyes and blond hair. She had a lovely personality and I had missed her dearly.

"Hello, Kate," I said as I got up to give her a hug.

Kate hugged me back tightly and spoke, "I have missed you so much. I haven't had a chance to talk to you since the whole mess with Edward and Tanya happened. How are you doing, Bella?"

_Just dandy._

I looked into Kate's concerned eyes and answered, "I am doing good. It was rough for a while, but the divorce is finalized and I am moving on."

"I am glad you seem to be doing well," Kate softly replied. She took a deep breath and continued, "I'm not sure if you want to know this or not, but Tanya has been miserable. She desperately misses you."

_Yeah... I definitely don't want to know that._

I carefully worded my response, "I am happy to see you Kate. I have missed you, but I am not going to be a part of Tanya's life anymore. I don't want to put you in an awkward position, but I would prefer not to talk about Tanya."

Kate replied with a sad smile, "I completely understand Bella. What she and Edward did to you is not something you forgive. I will be sure not to mention her to you in the future; however, you should know that she is meeting me here this morning."

_Shit. I need to leave, NOW._

I quickly stood and started to pack my belongings. As I was turning to say goodbye to Kate, Tanya entered the store. She looked to be uneasy with my presence as she continued towards us. Her nose was swollen and appeared to have been recovering from surgery.

"Hi, Bella," she cautiously called out.

_Yeah, I'd be cautious too if my nose looked like that...._

I curtly responded, "Hello, Tanya. If you'll excuse me, I was just leaving."

I hugged Kate goodbye, told her not to be a stranger, and walked out of Starbucks. As I started to walk down the sidewalk, I heard Tanya call after me, "Bella, wait!"

_For the love of all that is holy... What now?!?!_

She ran towards me as I stood and waited for her. "I just wanted to apologize, Bella. I am so sorry for everything that happened. Just so you know, Edward and I broke up that night. I know that doesn't make anything better, but I thought you should know. I'm sorry and I miss you."

I took a deep breath and responded, "I really don't know what to say, Tanya. Thanks for apologizing, but it doesn't fix or change anything. We still aren't friends. Goodbye, Tanya."

I turned around and walked away. Striding down the sidewalk, I realized that I hadn't thought about Tanya recently. Our relationship had been toxic for years and it was a relief to no longer have her in my life.

-o-o-o-

After running into Tanya, I refocused on my writing. I had not lashed out at her in public so that I could channel that energy into my writing. The ideas for revenge that I had so crazily scribbled into my journal were coming to life in my book. Annabelle Edwards tortured her husband Masen and step-sister Tanya mercilessly. After I finished a chapter based on a revenge plot, I would read it to Rosalie and Jasper. We would laugh and try to think up more ridiculous revenge plots. Tonight was no different.

The night started off with Rosalie and I in the kitchen making fajitas and drinking margaritas. After a particularly strong sip, I asked Rosalie, "Are you prepared for the adventures of Annabelle and Lily tonight?"

"I can't believe you named my character Lily!" Rose laughed.

"Well, I need to keep this a fiction piece. I figured you'd be okay with another flower name. You are so delicate after all," I said as I winked at her. "If you want a different name you'd better say now because I'm getting quite attached to Lily."

"No," she sighed. "I guess Lily is fine. At least it's not something dumb."

Rose and I continued to make dinner and had just set the table when Jasper walked in. He grabbed a beer and sat down to join us. "Hey, Bells. So what is Annabelle doing now?"

"Well, Annabelle and Lily go to a family function that Tanya is at. Since Tanya is a real estate agent, she always has her Blackberry on her. Lily spills a drink all over Tanya and distracts her so Annabelle can steal her Blackberry. Annabelle then changes Tanya's email signature," I replied.

"Tanya returns to the room and doesn't know that Annabelle has been in her phone. After a full day of work, Tanya realizes that she has quite a few unhappy customers. Her boss comes into her office and places her on probation after receiving an email," I continued.

"Tanya opens her email account up and realizes that all of her emails have the following signature, 'I am a homewrecking slut that fucked my sister's husband. I will fuck or blow you for your business. If you're any good, I'll cut my commission in half.'," I laughed out.

Rosalie started laughing and said, "Damn. If only we really could change Tanya's email signature. It would say something like, 'I end marriages in two ways: By fucking your husband and/or by helping you file for divorce.' Ohh, and it would definitely have to have one of those counter-clocks on the end that said 'X number of marriages wrecked since 2009'."

Jasper just shook his head and chuckled, "Good thing you never really did all of this, Bella. Your trust fund would be non-existent after I bailed you and Rose out of jail for the umpteenth time."

I giggled and replied, "No. I'd much rather write about how big of a vindictive bitch I am. Who knows? Maybe Edward and Tanya will read the book someday and realize how lucky they are that I left them alone after that first night."

Jasper stretched his arms above his head and said, "That reminds me. I looked over the non-disclosure agreement you signed as part of your prenup and it basically says that you can't reveal information about the Gold-Masen family."

He took a deep breath and continued, "You are marketing the book as fiction so it shouldn't be a problem. The fact that you changed Edward and Tanya's occupations and made Tanya's character a step-sister will also help. The only other thing I can think of to help you is that you might want to consider using a pen name. It won't guarantee you anonymity but it will keep people from making an immediate connection."

I gave Jasper a huge smile and replied, "Thanks for all your help Jazz. I don't really care if Edward or Tanya read the book and connect the dots. Hell, it might even be fun if they did. Why do you think I chose the names I did?" I winked at him and continued, "I just don't want there to be any problems with Momma Liz."

Rosalie snorted as Jasper replied, "Nope. You're good to go. Just consider using a pen name."

With the matter settled, the three of us continued to enjoy the night. We laughed and talked about what was going on in each other's lives.

-o-o-o-

The next day I was checking my messages when Charlie's voice sounded in my ear, "Hi, Bells. It's Dad. I know we haven't talked for awhile now, but I just wanted to see how you are doing. I miss you kiddo."

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

I furiously clicked the end button on my phone. Charlie and I had not spoken since that day at the Masen's home 10 months ago. He was furious with me for the divorce and I was furious with him for putting his reputation above my well-being. He had basically ignored my existence.

Charlie's phone call served to remind me that I no longer had a supportive parental figure in my life. My mother had died when I was so young and I never felt like I truly knew her. Charlie refused to talk about Renee and most of my memories of her were blurred.

When I thought about Renee, my mind would produce a picture of her laughing on a paddle boat. Her light brown hair glistened in the sunlight and her smile was brilliant as she looked at me. I knew that the two of us used to spend time each summer visiting her brother in Colorado. I assumed the lake in my memory was located there.

If my memory was correct, Renee was happiest when we were visiting Colorado. She would smile and laugh the entire visit. Her brother, Carlisle, had married her best friend, Esme. The two of them were loving and supportive influences in our lives.

Carlisle and Esme's two children, Emmett and Alice, had been my favorite playmates when I was younger. Emmett was two years older than me and a huge teddy bear. Alice was my age and a tiny ball of energy. The three of us always got into trouble together. I can still hear my mom and Aunt Esme yelling at us for acting up.

I had not seen my Uncle Carlisle, or the rest of his family, since my mother's funeral; however, they would send me cards and call on holidays. Carlisle and Esme had continued to invite me to spend summers with them up until I entered college, but Charlie always said no. I think he was afraid that it would be too painful for me. Either that, or he didn't want me to spend time with them.

The more I pondered about my extended family, the more I realized I wanted to spend time with them. They were the last link I had to Renee. Carlisle and Esme could tell me more about my mother than any other two people on earth.

I decided that I would be making a trip out to Colorado. Perhaps learning about my mother would help me find myself again.

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**A/N: I am overwhelmed by the response AWS is receiving. I appreciate all of your constructive criticism and support. I will post last week's bribe to the Outtakes during the week. This week's bribe will be an excerpt from Bella's book. The next update is scheduled for Sunday, November 29.**

**The italicized lines in the first section of this chapter are the lyrics to Billie Holiday's 'I'll Be Seeing You.' **

**I know some of you have been missing Cheatward. Don't worry, we will be hearing about and seeing him soon!**

**This week's rec:**

**Bad Press by HappyWanderer- With the heirs to his hotel completely out of control, Carlisle hires PR pro Bella Swan to do damage control. Guess who she has the most trouble with? This is a fun WIP that I like to read when I need an upbeat story. She usually updates on Mondays, so there isn't a long wait between chapters. www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5417343/1/Bad_Press**


	7. Denver

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It may lead to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be **_**THAT**_** girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

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**2005 (2 1/2 Years Before Prologue)**

I was jarred awake by the pilot's announcement to return all seats to the upright position. The three-hour flight from Chicago to Denver allowed me to catch-up on my sleep. I had been so nervous about my impending reunion with my the Cullens that I had not slept well the night before.

Once I had made the decision to visit Carlisle and Esme, I called Esme and asked her if she would be interested in seeing me. I had not seen her or Carlisle since my mother died, twenty years ago. It would be a gross understatement to say Esme was excited to see me. She squealed and started demanding my travel information. When I asked Esme about a hotel near her home, she informed me that I would be staying in the Cullen home and that I would be welcome for as long as I wanted to stay.

Tears filled my eyes as Esme's warm voice told me that she loved me and couldn't wait to see me. It had been so long since I had a supportive parental figure, that her warmth was surprising and overwhelming. Since Renee had died, I was left with Charlie. While Charlie had loved me in his own way, he was never outwardly affectionate. Further, my in-laws were not warm people. Momma Liz and Edward, Sr. made Charlie look like an over-affectionate parent. I was looking forward to being surrounded by people who genuinely and outwardly cared for each other.

After the plane landed at Denver International Airport, I picked up my luggage and made my way to over to obtain my rental car. I was thrilled to receive a black Infiniti M35. As far as rental cars went, it was well maintained and comfortable. With my luggage in the trunk, I made my way towards Cherry Hills Village, a suburb of Denver that Esme and Carlisle lived in.

I was enchanted with the bright blue Colorado sky and sunshine. It was a nice break from the overcast skies of Chicago. The drive to the Cullen home allowed me to take in the landscape and appreciate the mountains in the backdrop.

I pulled up to a large stone home in an affluent gated community. My hands were shaking with nerves and anticipation. I took a few deep breaths, exited the Infiniti, and made my way to the door to ring the doorbell. After a few moments, a small woman answered the door. She had mid-length, wavy caramel hair and hazel eyes. Her mouth stretched into a wide smile as she looked at me.

"Bella, darling. It is so wonderful to see you!" Esme exclaimed as she pulled me into a tight hug. "You look just like Renee did at your age. The only difference is the eyes. Your eyes are a chocolate brown where Renee's were hazel."

"Aunt Esme," I breathed. "I have missed you so much!"

"Come on, darling. Let's get your luggage up to your room and relax before Carlisle, Emmett, and Alice get here," Esme directed.

After Esme showed me to my room, we sat in the kitchen and drank some coffee. Esme started to fill me in on what was happening in the Cullens' lives while we were waiting for Carlisle, Emmett, and Alice to arrive.

Carlisle is currently the Chief of Pediatric Surgery at The Denver Children's Hospital. Esme was quite proud as she explained to me how the hospital has been recognized as one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the nation for over a decade. Last year, it was ranked number seven. Carlisle was constantly striving to improve the hospital so that it would rank in the top five.

Esme herself is a board member of The Children's Hospital Foundation. She directly contributes to the success of the Children's Hospital by helping with volunteer organization and fundraising. From what Esme said, I gathered that she hosts and plans numerous fundraising events with the help of Alice.

According to Esme, Alice started her own event planning business after she graduated from the University of Colorado. She was making a name for herself in the Denver-Metro area by planning numerous weddings and parties. Additionally, Alice volunteers her services as an event planner to help set up galas and silent auctions for the Children's Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Emmett is currently working at an advertising firm downtown. Esme said that he enjoys his work and could sell ice cubes to an eskimo. Additionally, Emmett is a founding member of the Colorado Young Professionals Advisory Council. The council is comprised of young professionals under the age of 35 who are dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

As Esme continued to tell me about her family, I couldn't help but notice how the entire family was involved in charity work. I questioned, "Esme, is there a reason that your entire family is involved with children's charities?"

Esme smiled and answered, "Bella, your entire family has always been heavily involved in different charities throughout the metro area. Your grandfather was a surgeon for the University of Colorado and he volunteered at the Children's hospital. Your grandmother continually offered assistance at the Denver Rescue Mission, which is a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. They passed their charitable spirit onto Carlisle and Renee.

"As a child, Carlisle chose to volunteer at the Children's Hospital with his dad. We chose to continue the family tradition with Emmett and Alice. However, Renee always went off and did her own thing. She volunteered at the hospital and the Ronald McDonald House in town. Renee used to take you along to the Ronald McDonald House. Do you remember?"

I opened my wallet to reveal a picture of Renee and I standing by a Ronald McDonald sign in a house. Sliding the picture across the counter to Esme, I said, "I don't remember volunteering with Mom. When I was a teenager, I found this picture in one of the boxes in our attic. It became one of my favorite pictures of my mom because of how large her smile is. Ever since then, I have been heavily involved in the Ronald McDonald House Charity. Sure, I appreciate all the work that the house does for families, but it also helps me feel close to my mom."

Esme smiled and pulled me into a hug. "You truly are a Cullen, Bella," she softly said.

-o-o-o-

Esme and I were interrupted by Alice coming through the kitchen door. She was a gorgeous little pixie with dark hair styled into a spiky bob. Her large hazel eyes were filled with laughter. As Alice ran up to hug me, I noticed how she could not have been taller than 5'2''. It was strange to have someone around who was smaller than my 5'4''.

"Bella!" Alice squealed as she hugged me tightly. "I am so excited you're here. We are going to have a wonderful time together, I just know it."

I laughed as I thought of Esme's prior description of Alice. It did appear that she was bouncy and extremely outgoing. "Alice," I replied with a wink towards Esme. "Aunt Esme here has given me the Christmas card update on the family. So what's the real deal?"

Alice's face lit up and she quickly pulled me down to one of the barstools by the kitchen island. "Bella, it's true that Mom and Dad are quite saint like. However, what they won't tell you is their scandalous standing in the neighborhood."

Esme gasped and swatted Alice with a spoon. "There is no need to bring up that Mary Alice!"

Alice dodged the wooden spoon and laughed out, "Of course there is. It's the only thing I can say about you that isn't completely nice. If I'm going to out Emmett and myself, I might as well out you."

"Well anyway," Alice continued, "At the last neighborhood party, Mom tackled Paige Green into the Elway's koi pond. Mom is good friends with Janet and really doesn't like John's new fiance. So when Paige was flirting with Dad, she knocked her into the pond."

Alice must have noticed my confused face because she sighed and continued, "John Elway is a former quarterback for the Broncos. He and his wife Janet lived next door to us for years before their divorce. So now the neighborhood is torn on whether they like Janet or Paige best. Mom is the first one to resort to physical violence!"

Esme snorted out, "Yes, well I don't react well to former NFL cheerleaders throwing themselves at my husband." I could have sworn she mumbled "Tramp" under her breath.

Through my giggles, I asked Alice, "So besides Esme's aversion to NFL cheerleaders, what else should I know?"

"Well, Emmett is a teddy bear, but a huge man-whore," Alice stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

Esme gasped out, "Alice!"

Alice just shook her head and replied, "What? You know it's true. He and his two friends, Felix and Alec, like to think that they are God's-gifts-to-women. They all work for the same advertising firm and like to practice their 'selling-skills' on unsuspecting ladies. Usually, they bet on what the outcome will be.

"In all fairness, I should say that I have been seeing Felix seriously for about six months. So he really has calmed down on the whole douche-bag persona. He is a tool at times, but I love him anyways," Alice stated.

"That's what you say," a loud voice boomed out. "I still think he's a douche!"

"Emmett!" Alice squealed as she ran over for a hug. When I looked over, the first thing I noticed was how huge Emmett was. He stood around 6'4'' and was pure muscle. He had dark curly hair and bright blue eyes that were filled with laughter.

"Hey Pixie Stick," Emmett laughed out. He turned to me and pulled me into a large bear hug, "Bells, we've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Emmy," I softly said. After I said the words, I realized how true they were. Even though I hadn't seen the Cullens since I was eight, I remember the feeling of family that surrounded them. Alice was my partner-in-crime and Emmett was always my big brother. I was looking forward to getting to know them better as adults.

We all laughed and joked as we finish preparing dinner. Carlisle walked in the door just as we were sitting down to eat. He was an attractive man with blond hair and blue eyes. His body was fit and he had a some gray hair at his temples that gave him a distinguished look. Carlisle walked right over to me and gave me a huge hug.

"Bella, you look just like your mother," he softly said. "I hope we'll get to know each other better during your stay. I'm sure Renee would love for us to become closer."

I agreed with Carlisle and we all sat down to eat. Halfway through the meal, Alice turned to me and asked, "So Bella, how long are you planning to stay with us?"

I finished chewing and answered, "I'm not sure yet. I originally planned to visit for two weeks, but I may stay longer."

I quickly turned to Esme and continued, "Don't worry, Esme. If I decide to stay past the two weeks we agreed on, I will find other living arrangements. I won't wear out my welcome."

Esme scoffed, "Bella, I meant it when I said you can stay as long as you like. Don't worry about wearing out your welcome."

Emmett laughed at Esme's tone and turned to me, "Seriously Bells, there is no use arguing with Momma Bear."

We all laughed before Carlisle asked, "Bella, what is it that you do that allows you to take extended vacations?"

I quickly told the Cullens about my divorce, journal, and book. I tried to keep the story upbeat, but I could tell by Esme's furious face that I had failed. I opened my mouth to continue the story, but was interrupted by two large fists banging on the table top.

I turned away from Esme to see a red-faced Emmett. He yelled, "Are you kidding me? That bastard had an affair with Tanya and expected you to stay with him? He better cover his balls if he runs into me. I'll castrate the bastard!"

I spent the next five minutes trying to calm Emmett down. Finally, I asked him to help me think of revenge plots for my book. Emmett seemed to be placated by the thought of inflicting bodily harm on Edward.

-o-o-o-

A few days passed and Emmett was still pissed about the Edward situation. Every time I would see him, his face would be scrunched-up in concentration. A couple times each hour, Emmett's face would light up as he came up with a revenge plot. Eventually, his face would fall and he would mutter under his breath about the idea not being good enough.

I was touched that Emmett was trying to think of things to do to the fictional Edward. At least, I hoped he was only going to want me to write about the pranks.

One afternoon the following week, Emmett came over to Carlisle and Esme's house with his laptop.

"Bells, get down here!" he bellowed. "I have the perfect idea and I need your help."

I ran downstairs to see Emmett sitting in front of the coffee table booting up his laptop. "What are you talking about Emmett?" I questioned.

"Bells, we are going to play a little prank on your ex. Don't worry, it's nothing too bad. However, it will be painful and will remind him of the risks involved with precarious fucking," Emmett explained.

I cautiously sat down next to Emmett and said, "Explain."

Emmett pulled up the inSPOT website on his computer. The website provides people with an anonymous way to notify past sexual partners that you have a STD.

"Emmett..." I started to say.

Emmet quickly interrupted me, "Bells, We aren't doing anything terrible. Edward needs to get tested anyways. All we're doing is sending him a friendly reminder. He'll freak out about possibly having a STD and run in to get tested."

"Isn't that a little mean, Emmy?" I asked.

Emmett started laughing when he noticed the glare on my face. "Yes. Bella, the guy was a total asshat to you. Won't you feel good that a doctor is going to shove a long Q-tip up Edward's pee-hole? Seriously, that shit hurts."

I started to giggle as I imagined Edward having to get tested for STDs. When we first started dating I made him get tested before I would sleep with him. He complained about that Q-tip test for days. Maybe this was a good idea.

_It is anonymous, right? _

"Okay, you've convinced me," I laughed out.

Emmett fist-pumped the air and boomed out, "Let's do this shit!"

Emmett and I selected an e-card that had pictures of screws on it and the following message, "I got screwed while screwing, you might have too. Check for STDs if you haven't recently. inSPOT."

We contemplated what personalized message to add to the e-card and decided on, "Hey, Sexy. I recently tested positive for a couple of STDs, including: Chlamydia, Hepatitis, and Herpes. Be sure to get checked out. Thanks for the hot sex!"

Emmett started cackling as he sit the send button. The website offered a calling service to insure that the recipient read the card. All we had to do now was wait three days before Emmett would call Edward and make sure he received the e-card.

Three days later, Emmett and I were calling Edward using a calling card, so that the number couldn't be traced. Emmett put the phone on speaker as it rang.

"Hello?" Edward's voice rang out.

"Hello. Is this Edward Masen?" Emmett asked in a professional tone.

After hearing Edward's affirmative answer, Emmett continued, "Hello Mr. Masen. This is Chris from inSPOT. I am calling you to confirm that you received an e-card from us three days ago?"

"An e-card? Why would you need to confirm that?" Edward asked.

Emmett replied in an exasperated tone, "Mr. Masen, inSPOT provides people with an anonymous method of informing past sexual partners that they may be at risk for a STD. Someone sent an e-card to your email address notifying you that you have been exposed to numerous STDs when they were contagious."

"What? Is this a joke?" Edward asked. "I was tested right after I ended my last sexual relationship."

Emmett sighed and answered, "Mr. Masen, many STDs are not detected until weeks or months after exposure. So unless you have tested at least six months after your last sexual relationship, there is a possibility that you received a false negative."

Edward's voice took on a panicked quality as he asked, "What am I supposed to get tested for? Who sent me this e-card?"

Emmett maintained his professional voice and said, "Mr. Masen, I am not at liberty to tell you who sent you the e-card or what it says. All I can tell you is that someone in the Chicago area sent you an e-card to the email address, . Please check your email for this e-card and go to our website to find a testing center near you."

"Thanks for nothing," Edward glumly replied.

"Your welcome and good luck," Emmett cheerfully replied before he hung up the phone.

After Emmett hung up the phone, I laughed until I had tears running down my face. I felt bad for making Edward worry, but then I remembered him fucking Tanya on her kitchen counter. Maybe he really did have something and Emmett just saved his life.

_Good thing I got tested. There's no telling what diseases Edward or Tanya could have been carrying...._

-o-o-o-

To celebrate our successful prank, Emmett and I decided to meet Alice, Felix, and Alec at one of their favorite bars, Lodo's. After calling Alice to question the dress code, I threw on a pair of skinny jeans, heeled stiletto boots, and a fitted maroon sweater. The outfit was casual, yet nice.

When we arrived at the bar, Alice and Felix were already there. Alice came up to give me a hug and introduced me to Felix. Felix was approximately six feet tall with blond hair and blue eyes. He had a slim build, but appeared to be fit. I couldn't help but notice how similar he looked to Jasper. However, when he opened his mouth to speak, I realized that Felix did not have Jasper's charm.

"So you must be the sexy long-lost cousin," Felix said as he openly leered at me.

"And that makes you the sleazy, reformed-player boyfriend right?" I questioned.

Felix laughed and looked at Emmet, "Alec is going to love her. Let's see if she can resist his game."

Emmett growled out, "He better stay away from Bella. She doesn't need someone like Alec panting after her."

"She is sitting right here and can determine who she is interested in," I snidely stated.

Felix and Emmett just laughed at me before they left to go order another round of drinks from the bar.

Alice leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Alec should be here shortly. He is fantastically sexy; however, he is a complete man-whore. He is charming and quick-witted. If you can manage to resist him for the night, you will have him eating out of the palm of your hand."

I just laughed out, "I'm sure I can resist him, Alice. I was married to one of the sexiest men alive. I strung him along for months before I let him take me out."

My voice trailed off as I noticed a gorgeous man enter the bar. He was at least 6'2'' with light brown hair and brown eyes (Think Ryan Reynolds, clean shaven). He had a lithe body that allowed me to see each muscle flex as he strolled towards the bar. The man was stealthy and dangerous. I wanted him.

Alice noticed me staring at the gorgeous man. She bumped my arm and whispered, "_That_ is Alec."

_I'm fucked..._

"Shit, Alice," I whisper yelled. "The man is luscious. All I want to do is lick and bite him. I am going to have to seriously concentrate on not dropping my panties for him."

"Well, it looks like he wants you too," she answered.

I looked over towards the bar to see Alec lasciviously staring at me as he talked to Emmett and Felix. I just raised my eyebrow at him and turned back to Alice.

"I need some serious info, Alice. Does he have a big ego? What traps should I avoid?" I questioned.

Alice looked thoughtful and then she replied, "He thinks he is a sex god. He is all about one-night-stands and is never exclusive. I have never seen a girl that he is actively pursuing turn him down and he has quite a large ego because of it."

I noticed that the guys were headed back towards our table from the corner of my eye. Alice looked over at me and hurriedly whispered, "It should help if you remember that they probably made a bet about you at the bar."

Alec walked over, leaned in, and spoke softly in my ear, "You must be the lovely Bella. I'm Alec."

The feel of his breath on my neck was already driving me crazy. By his smug smirk, I knew that he noticed that the hairs on my neck were raised.

I purred back, "Nice to meet you, Alec."

_God he smells so good._

I turned back to the table and joined in the group conversation. The six of us continued to joke and laugh as the night wore on. After a few rounds, Alec placed his hand on my thigh.

He leaned over and whispered, "You're such a gorgeous woman, Bella. Add in your sense of humor and I feel like I've met my dream girl."

_Does that line actually work for him?_

I placed my hand on his thigh and looked up and him through my lashes. "Really?" I questioned.

Alec ran his nose along my jaw up to my ear and whispered, "Really."

_He is so sexy. I really just want to ride him all night. Must resist...._

I laughed and snorted out, "I'm not sleeping with you, Alec."

Alec stopped running his hand over my thigh and raised his eyebrows in shock. "Really? I could show you a good time, Bella."

_I'm sure you could..._

"Well you see, Alec, I'm not sure you could," I answered in a bored tone.

Alec took my hand and ran it up his thigh until it rested on his large, hard package. "I'm sure you can now see how much fun we could have," he challenged.

_Want to lick it...._

I laughed again and answered, "Sure, you have a decent size dick. Do you know how to use it?"

At this point, I realized our entire table was watching our exchange. The three of them looked highly amused. I looked back to Alec and continued, "If I had to guess, I'd say you are a man who only has one-night stands. So while you may have an abundant amount of sex, I doubt you truly know how to please a woman. I'm looking for a man who knows what to do with a woman once he gets her into bed."

"I know what to do with women," Alec scoffed.

I turned to the group and asked, "How many of the women here tonight has Alec slept with?"

They looked around and Felix answered, "At least six."

"Thanks, Felix. You just proved my point," I lazily replied.

Alec replied in an annoyed tone, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, I haven't seen one woman throw herself at you and beg for another night. Actually, most of them look bored with you. If you are as good as you say you are, you would have women stalking you and begging you to come home with them. Yes, you may have game outside of the bedroom, but inside the bedroom you're a flop," I quipped.

Alec turned bright red and sulked as the table laughed at him. Emmett boomed out, "Damn, Bells. That was harsh."

As I was getting ready to leave the bar, I leaned over and whispered in Alec's ear, "Let me know when you've mastered the right skills. I'll be begging for a ride then."

I bit his earlobe and continued, "And trust me.... I'm a good ride." With a wink, I left the bar and a flabbergasted Alec.

-o-o-o-

The next few weeks passed by quickly. I spent most of the day with Esme learning about my mom. She would tell me stories about how they met in high school and roomed together in college. I was shown pictures of my mother in most stages of her life; however, it was the old home movies of her that I treasured most. It was surreal to hear Renee's voice and laughter again.

One video in particular held my interest. It was of Renee, the Cullens, and I at a lake. In the background, I could see paddle boats. I paused the video and quickly turned to Esme, "Where were we?"

"The Washington Park boathouse. Why?" she responded.

"The most vivid memory of Mom that I have is in a paddle boat out on that lake," I said through my tears. "How far away is it?"

"It's about 30 minutes away, Bella," Esme said as she reached out to hug me.

I decided that I would visit the boathouse tomorrow. It would be the perfect day to spend remembering my Mom.

The next morning, I threw on some comfy yoga pants and a sports-bra tank top. After programming the GPS in the Infiniti, I set off towards Washington Park. When I arrived at the park, I was stunned by its beauty. It was a large green oasis in the middle of the city. There were running trails, bridges, tennis courts, playgrounds, flower beds, and the lake.

I quickly pulled out a blanket that I had packed along with a picnic lunch. I spread out on a grassy hill near the lake and let my memories take me. All I could see in my mind was my mother's laughing face. Inspired by the location, I took out a new moleskin journal and began to write down all of the information that Esme had told me about my mother. I did not want to forget anything.

Hours later, I was still writing in my notebook. A shadow crossing over my journal startled me out of my reverie and caused me to look up. There standing above me was Alec. He looked delicious in back shorts and a cut-off t-shirt.

_He's so fucking sexy._

I pulled an earbud out of my ear and greeted him, "Hi, Alec."

"Hey, gorgeous. You're looking sexy today," he flirted. "What are you up to?"

"Just writing down some memories," I responded.

Alec studied my face and stated, "I was just getting ready to go for a run when I recognized you laying out over here. Care to join me?"

_Only if you're going to take me right here on this blanket._

"No thanks. I'm getting ready to leave," I replied.

Alec smiled at me and said in a raspy tone, "Well, if you ever want a fun workout give me a call." The sexual innuendo was obvious and welcome.

"You master the skills, and I'll let you be my personal trainer," I quipped back.

Alec laughed as he started to move towards the running path. "I'll be seeing you soon, Bella," he said with a wave.

_He has such a fine ass. Want to bite the hiney..._

-o-o-o-

As I was driving back towards the Cullen house, I began to think about my time spent in Denver. It had been five weeks and I still felt like I needed to be here. I loved the blue Colorado sky and pace of life here in Denver. Not to mention, my extended family was fantastic.

The closer I got to the house, the more at home I felt. There was really nothing tying me to Chicago other than Rose and Jasper. Perhaps, I should move to Denver for a while. I could always return to Chicago later on. It would be a great opportunity for me to learn more about my family while I concentrated on writing my book. Not to mention a new start would help me move on with my life.

That evening at dinner, I brought up the idea of me moving to Denver. The squeals I heard from around the table were enough to let me know that I was wanted.

Alice immediately started talking, "Of course you should move here. I am getting ready to move-in with Felix and you could stay in my condo. It's in the middle of downtown and it's beautiful. Not to mention, we could spend so much time together. Really, Bella! You should definitely stay!"

Esme gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, "We would love for you to be closer to us, darling. This will always be your home."

When Esme released me, Carlisle gave me a wink and said, "It would be great to have my favorite niece in the same city."

"Of course you're staying," Emmett boomed. "How could you stand to be away from me again!"

With a big smile I replied, "Looks like I'm moving to Denver."

We spent the rest of the night talking about living arrangements and when I would go back to Chicago to retrieve my belongings. Now I just needed to tell Rosalie that I was leaving Chicago.

-o-o-o-

As much as I was enjoying Denver, I missed my Rosalie. We would speak on the phone almost everyday, but it was never the same. I missed having my fierce partner-in-crime. Alice and Emmett were wonderful and fun, but they weren't Rose or Jasper. Perhaps I could persuade the Hales to drive out to Denver with me when I went to get my belongings.

I was convinced that Emmett and Rosalie would make a fantastic couple. There was just no conceivable way that the two of them wouldn't work. I could see their introduction now, he would sexually harass her and she would tear him a new asshole. The two of them would fight for verbal superiority and annoy the hell out of each other in the process. Just when they decided to hate each other, they would determine that it was incredibly hot to argue.

They both got off on verbal sparring... even declaring it their favorite type of foreplay. There was no way it wouldn't work. Maybe I could talk Rose into moving here if Emmett worked out for her.

I picked up my phone and called Rosalie. After the third ring, she picked up, "Hello?"

"Hello. I'm hoping to talk to the sexiest bitch in Chicago," I teased.

With a soft laugh, Rose answered, "Well I can definitely be the biggest bitch in Chicago. How are you B?"

"I'm good. Just missing you and your sassy attitude," I quipped.

In a serious tone I continued, "Look, I need to talk to you about something. I'm going to be moving to Denver."

I held my breath and waited for Rose to reply. After a minute she answered, "I'm going to miss you like crazy, but you've sounded so happy since you've been there. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't want you to be happy?"

"I'm going to miss you too, Rose. In fact, you are the only reason I almost decided to stay in Chicago. You're my family," I tearily replied.

"We're going to be fine, Bella. We'll talk all the time and make sure to visit each other frequently," Rose cried.

"Is there any way that you would be willing to drive out to Colorado with me when I come out to pack up my stuff and get the Lexus? It would be fun to have a roadtrip," I desperately asked.

"Hmmmm....," Rose pondered. "I don't think I have ever been to Denver before. You know, other than the occasional layover at DIA. It would be fun. How about I check my schedule and let you know?"

I answered, "Fantastic. Make sure to invite Jasper. Even though he's not you, I still miss him. So what's new with you?"

With that one simple question, Rose and I were chatting away about our lives. She told me that she was going through a dry spell and I told her all about my run-ins with Alec. Needless to say, she thought it was hysterical that I was flirting with another playboy.

"God, Bella. Do you actively search for womanizers?" Rose laughed.

"No," I answered defensively. "They seek _Me_ out. I can't help it if they are confounded when I don't automatically drop my panties."

"You just enjoy the challenge and thrill that such men offer. But really, why can't you leave them alone?" Rose questioned.

"The charm and witty banter intrigues and stimulates me. They enjoy the thrill of the chase, and I enjoy being chased," I remarked with a smile. "Of course, the mind-blowing skills they usually possess come in handy once I allow myself to be caught."

"As long as you remember how they acquired those mind-blowing skills," Rose warned.

I dryly laughed and replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Rose."

Rose softly said, "Speaking of womanizers, there is something I should probably tell you."

After a few moments of silence, I was getting anxious. "Just spit it out, Rose. You're making me worry."

Rose nervously cleared her throat and said, "I spoke to Edward the other night...."

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's **_**constructive criticism**_** and support. Some of you have some wicked ideas for revenge =) Feel free to send me any ideas you have. If Bella uses one of them, I will be sure to give you credit! The bribe for this week is an excerpt from Bella's book. Also, I will be posting last week's bribe in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**** The next scheduled update will occur on Sunday, December 6.**

**Children's charities are close to my heart and I am trying to give them a role in this story. Many of you have questioned, why Denver? Well, other than the fact that I love the city, it has fantastic medical facilities and resources for children.**

**The Ronald McDonald House charity is a charity that is close to my heart. It provides families with a place to stay while a child is receiving medical care at a facility that is more than 60 miles away at little or no cost. This enables children to receive the best possible care, no matter how far a family may have to travel. The facilities include laundry rooms, prepared meals, and other services at no additional cost. Families are asked to donate an amount less than $25 a night to stay in the house while their child is undergoing treatment; however, families are never turned away because they cannot afford to pay. The facilities are run entirely by volunteers and donations. Next time you are in McDonald's drop some change in the donation boxes. If you have time to volunteer, call the house nearest you. It is a chance for you to help reduce some of the worries that families with terminally ill children face. http://rmhc (dot) org **

**The Make-A-Wish foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. www (dot) wish (dot) org**


	8. WTF Just Happened?

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It may lead to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be **_**THAT**_** girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.**

**To my lovely, new beta, Irritable Grizzzly- thank you for putting-up with me and my overuse of the word softly ;)**

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* * *

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_Previously:_

_Rose softly said, "Speaking of womanizers, there is something I should probably tell you."_

_After a few moments of silence, I was getting anxious. "Just spit it out, Rose. You're making me worry."_

_Rose nervously cleared her throat and said, "I spoke to Edward the other night...."_

**2006 (2 Years Before Prologue)**

"You spoke to Edward? What do you mean you spoke to Edward?" I asked in a pitchy voice.

Rose took a deep breath and began cautiously, "You know how Momma Liz bribed Lauren with exclusive rights to Gold-Masen events if she wouldn't publish information on your divorce?"

"Yes," I answered.

"Well, Momma Liz was hosting a silent auction for the Battered Women's Shelter and she sent Lauren an invite for the event. Liz had specifically requested that I cover all events because I used to attend with you and therefore my presence wouldn't scream 'Press!'. She also requested that I arrive at the venue a half-an-hour early so that she could go over some information about the event with me. We both know that's Momma-Liz-code for 'stating the rules'."

"So I arrived early and Liz threatened to end my career if I portrayed her family, or the Women's Shelter, in a negative light. Towards the end of her rambling, she specifically warned me to stay away from Edward and his date," Rose explained.

"Edward brought a date?" I asked with what I hoped was a neutral tone. My heart-rate increased and I felt like I would have a heart attack at any moment.

When I heard the sharp intake of breath over the phone, I could tell that Rose hadn't meant to reveal that piece of information. In a calm voice, Rose answered, "Yes, Bella. Edward brought a date."

"Who was it, Rose?" I questioned.

"Are you sure you want to know about all of this, Bella?" Rose pressed.

_No. I definitely don't want to know about Edward with anyone else._

When I answered in the affirmative, Rose continued, "Her name is Felicity. Apparently, he's been dating her for a couple of months now. The entire night everyone was speculating if she would become the next Mrs. Masen."

_A couple of months?!?!?_

"A couple of months?" I pressed.

"Yes," Rose answered, "He's been seeing her exclusively for the last four months. They are a 'private couple' and are only seen together at events."

Rose was still talking, but I didn't hear the words she was saying. I was panicking as I tried to determine if I knew a Felicity. I know the divorce had been finalized for six months now, but I didn't think he would have a serious relationship so soon. I tried to regulate my breathing. I needed to stay calm. Then I had an epiphany. Was it Felicity King…because if it was, I'd have nothing to worry about.

_Felicity King is gay._

In an excited voice I said, "Is it Felicity King?"

Rose snapped at me, "Were you even listening to me, Bella? I told you that about five minutes ago!"

_Had I really spaced out for that long?_

"What?" I asked in a confused voice.

"My mother used to tell me that if you masturbated excessively, it made you stupid. I think you have fucked yourself stupid with the Rabbit, Bella," Rose said.

"Rose..." I said, completely embarrassed.

Rose quickly replied, "Bella, what I said was that I talked to Edward. He said they had an arrangement to be each other's dates at events. He was quick to tell me that he hasn't seen anyone since you left him a year ago."

"I'm sorry, Rose. I just panicked. I knew he'd start seeing someone eventually, but I didn't want to think about it," I apologized.

"Bella," she sighed. "I know it's been difficult for you since the divorce. I just wanted you to know that it looks like it's been difficult for him too."

_I'm sure it's been real hard for the cheating bastard...._

"Really?" I said sarcastically.

"Really, Bella. The only reason I'm telling you that I spoke to him is because I thought it would help you to know that he seems to be having a hard time letting go of you. Sometimes it helps to know that you aren't the only one mourning the loss of a relationship."

"It does help. I DO like knowing that he's finding the situation difficult too. At least I know that I'm not the only one feeling the loss. Although, in some ways it hurts to know that he still cares," I sighed. "How is he?"

Rose informed me that Edward was tired and drunk by the time she talked to him. The only thing he wanted to talk about was me and how I was doing. Rose did not tell him where I was or how I was doing. The only information she gave Edward was that I was no longer in Chicago and that I was happy.

I was thrilled that Rose led Edward to believe that I had moved on. It was difficult to hear news about Edward because I was no longer a part of his life.

I was glad that Rose ran into him; however, a small part of me was jealous that she got to see and talk to him.

-o-o-o-

After I learned that Edward was struggling with our divorce, I had a hard time thinking of revenge plots. I got angry at myself because he didn't deserve my sympathy. I needed someone to remind me of the situation and to help me focus on my book. In my time of need, I called Emmett. As soon as I told him I was feeling sorry for Edward, he lost it.

"Bella, that bastard deserves everything that Annabelle is doing to Masen and more!" Emmett shouted. "He fucked Tanya on your anniversary, for fuck's sake!"

Every time I think about it, I still get insanely angry. Fueled by the memory of seeing Tanya's high-heels digging into Edward's ass, I began to plot. The newest revenge scheme involved flowers. I explained the situation to Emmett to make sure it was appropriate.

"Annabelle makes a list comprised of Masen's mother's female friends, daughters of his father's friends, female co-workers, select male co-workers, and select male acquaintances. Annabelle then orders expensive bouquets of flowers for everyone on her list using Masen's credit card. In total, there are fifty bouquets of flowers that cost approximately $3,000. On the card, attached to each bouquet, is the following message: 'I find sex outside of marriage to be insanely satisfying. I'm fucking my wife's sister and I'd love to get into your pants too! Love, Masen'," I said. "What do you think?"

Emmett chuckled and answered, "I think that the wrath of his parents would be excruciating. I can't even imagine what my parents would say if I sent their friends, or their friends' children, a message like that."

"I wish I didn't accept that hush-money from Momma Liz. I can only imagine what she would say if her acquaintances received propositions from Edward," I said dreamily.

_She would have an epic shit-fit..._

I thanked Emmett for his help. He was proving to be my anchor while I was writing my book. Emmett kept me focused and motivated. I knew I wouldn't be able to write without his help and support.

-o-o-o-

Three weeks later, I was back in Chicago. I had hired a moving company to move my possessions to Denver. After watching my things being loaded onto the truck, I was ready for my last dinner as a Chicago resident.

Rosalie, Jasper, and I headed down to a pizzeria that we had been going to since college. As we drank our beers and ate our Chicago-style pizza, we reminisced about our times together. The three of us, along with Edward and Tanya, had created some wonderful memories there.

We were laughing over the time that I fell into someone else's pizza when Jasper blurted, "I can't believe you're leaving us, Bella! Who is going to entertain me with random bouts of klutziness now?"

"Ha Ha," I snarked. "You know you're going to miss me. I'm just sad that you won't be driving to Denver with us."

I gave Jasper my best pouty face and hoped that he might change his mind.

"I know," Jasper sighed. "I really wish that I could be a part of this road trip, but I have a case that I can't leave behind."

I reached over and put my arm around his shoulder. "It's okay, J. You'll just have to come visit me soon," I soothed.

The three of us continued to drink and recollect countless memories until the pizzeria closed. My face hurt from smiling and my body ached from laughing too hard, yet I was not ready for the night to end. I would miss the Hales greatly.

The next morning started early, and with a cranky Rosalie. Our late night drinking left her with a mean hangover. She climbed into the passenger seat of my Lexus SUV, pulled down her large Gucci sunglasses, and groggily stated, "I need some serious coffee. We're talking a Venti triple-shot latte. If I don't get my Starbucks soon, I can't be held accountable for my attitude."

As I drove out of Chicago, I said goodbye to Chicago and my life there. This was my chance to start fresh and be whoever I wanted to be. Rose must have known what I was thinking, because she determined that it was time to have a heart-to-heart with me.

"Bella, you know I love you, but I'm a little concerned," she said.

I asked, "Concerned about what?"

Rose played with the sleeve on her coffee cup and replied, "You have this great chance to start over in Denver and get to know your family. However, you've been mentioning this Alec guy a lot. I'm sure he's a nice guy, but you know he's a player. I'm all for teasing him and having fun, but I'm concerned that you may fall into old patterns. I would just hate to see you end up with another Edward."

_Deep breaths.... She's only mentioning this because she loves you...._

"Rose, I can see how you would be concerned. Alec is intriguing, but I know that he isn't the right type of guy for me," I sighed. "I'm trying to convince myself to be with someone safer this time around."

Rose smiled and said, "I'm not telling you to be with a boring man, B. I just want you to be with someone who will treat you how you deserve to be treated. Just be careful. I don't want to knock-out any more whores because they slept with your man."

-o-o-o-

The drive to Denver was sixteen hours long. Rose and I had planned to stop and spend the night in Lincoln, Nebraska; however, we just decided to take shifts and drive right through. We arrived in Denver at four a.m. and quickly passed out on the blow-up mattress I left there. The next morning I woke early and decided to run down the street to Starbucks to get coffee for Rose and myself. After ordering some coffees and a couple of scones, I made my way back to the condo.

As I opened the door, I could hear the hysterical tone of Emmett's voice, "I swear I know Bella! I was just coming to see if I could get her new bed delivered before she got back from Chicago!"

_Huh? Emmett was going to have my bed delivered?_

"Stay away from me, you pervert! If you really know Bella, then why didn't you call or give some notice before you came barging in?!?!" Rose's yelled.

"Please, Please," Emmett yelled out, sounding desperate, "Don't hurt me. Just put the knife down or let me leave. This is all just a misunderstanding. Don't do anything that you might regret later!"

_What the hell?_

As soon as I heard the word knife, I started running toward the voices. When I turned the corner, I couldn't believe the sight before me. Rosalie was in a towel, standing over Emmett and wielding a large cleaver. Emmett was huddled in the corner with wide scared eyes. He was desperately searching for a way out, but Rose had him cornered.

Emmett caught sight of me and exhaled a large breath of relief. "Bella! Thank God you're here," he yelled. "Please tell your friend here that you know me and that I'm not going to hurt her. Tell her to put down that huge fucking knife!!!"

I carefully turned to Rose and gently informed her, "Rose, this is my cousin Emmett. It's okay. You can put the knife down."

Rose's eyes flashed with anger as she quickly retorted, "Well, tell your cousin to learn some fucking manners. Barging into someone's condo and then propositioning a stranger is a great way to get cut."

When Emmett saw Rose put down the cleaver, he straightened his spine and got out of the corner. His eyes were brimming with amusement and lust when he replied, "I can't help it if you're fucking sexy in a towel. Hell, even the knife did something for me. I never knew that a fucking crazy girl could be so ridiculously sexy."

_How did women think his lines were suave? It's amazing he's not a virgin..._

"You're a fucking idiot," Rose said. Her nostrils flared in annoyance. After taking a deep breath, she huffed out, "I'm Rosalie Hale. If you promise not to break in again, I will promise not to stab you with a cleaver."

Emmett smirked as he raked his eyes over Rosalie's semi-clad form. With an amused tone he replied, "Next time I'll wait until you take off the towel. I'm Emmett Cullen. Just thought you should know whose name you'll be screaming later."

_Did he really just say that? _

"In your wildest wet dreams, asshole. I should have chopped your dick off and saved humanity the burden of your future offspring!" Rose spit before she stormed out of the kitchen.

Emmett turned to me and cocked an eyebrow, "She's a feisty one, isn't she?"

While we were waiting for Rose to change, Emmett caught me up-to-date on the potential murder scene I witnessed. Apparently, he called the furniture store and they agreed to deliver my bed earlier. Emmett came over this morning to greet the delivery truck and to make sure that my bed would be ready when I arrived. It was incredibly sweet for him to consider my needs.

After I thanked Emmett, I began to laugh. I don't think I will ever get the image of Rose corralling Emmett with a knife out of my head. I snorted out, "Emmett, she scared the shit out of you. I don't think you will ever live this down!!"

"You try having a half-naked psycho wave a knife at you and see how scared you get," Emmett said defensively.

I was still shaking with laughter when Rosalie came back into the kitchen. Once I caught my breath, the two of them explained what happened.

Emmett used the emergency key to let himself into the condo to wait for the delivery men. He walked into the bedroom to make sure that the way was clear for them to set up the bed. As he was leaving the bedroom, Emmett ran into Rosalie in the hall. She had just finished taking her morning shower, which explained why she was wrapped in a towel. When Rose noticed Emmett, she screamed and ran down the hall towards the kitchen, since Emmett had the way to the front door blocked. Rosalie grabbed the cleaver and was waving it around trying to keep the intruder away. I walked in during the standoff.

I wheezed because I was laughing so hard. Both Rose and Emmett looked at me as if I were a traitor. Finally, Rosalie broke down and laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Well, that was definitely an interesting way to meet one of Bella's cousins," Rose giggled.

Emmett met Rosalie's eyes as he laughed with her. By the look he gave her, I knew he would be pursuing her. The way she returned his gaze led me to believe that she would be happy to entertain his advances.

-o-o-o-

The talk with Rosalie on the drive out to Denver was weighing on my mind. She was correct that I needed to deal with the Alec situation. I was here in Denver to improve my life, not follow the same old patterns. Tonight Rose and I would be meeting Emmett, Alice, Felix, and Alec for dinner at a nearby sushi restaurant. I planned on using Rose's presence for the strength to deal with the situation.

Rose and I walked into the restaurant and were led to the table that Alice had reserved. I quickly introduced Rose to everyone. They all laughed at Rose and asked her if they should hide the knives. Rose cursed Emmett under her breath before letting it go and laughing with the rest of the group.

At the beginning of dinner, we had ordered sake bombs. We used chopsticks to set our shots of Sake above the glasses of beer. Throughout the rest of the meal, we would all hit the table in an effort to get other people's shots to fall into their glasses of beer. The liquor flowed freely and everyone was having fun.

After a few drinks, it was interesting to see how Rose interacted with Emmett. Throughout dinner, I observed how the two of them would constantly lean into each other. Not to mention, they purposely tried to annoy one another. Poor Emmett kept trying to knock Rose's shot into her glass, but he ended up making his own shot fall more often than not. The whole thing was like watching the mating rituals of kindergartners. Weird, but fascinating.

With Rose distracted, and Alice in her own world with Felix, I turned my attention to Alec. "So, I just wanted to let you know that I was just messing with you before. I truly won't be sleeping with you," I said.

Alec raised an eyebrow at me and said, "Okay."

"Well, I just think that it could get really messy. You seem like a fun guy, but we have the same friends. That could make life after our one-night-stand a little awkward," I continued.

"Yeah, I would hate for you to pine away for me after I told you we were through," Alec joked as he winked at me.

I joked back, "Sure. I still stand by my observation that you must be lame in bed!"

Alec chuckled as he smoothly stated, "Bella, Bella, Bella. Now you've extended a challenge. I will be forced to sex you up at least once."

Then he winked at me to let me know he wasn't serious. I was relieved that I had told Alec I wasn't interested and that he took it well. I wasn't expecting that he would really care, but at the same time, it was nice that there wasn't any drama.

We kept up our banter as we talked with the rest of the group. It felt like Rosalie belonged with us as the night progressed. I was positive that I would not be the only one to miss her when she boarded her plane to go home to Chicago.

-o-o-o-

The next morning, I dropped Rose off at DIA to catch her plane back to Chicago. Rose had on her large sunglasses and she was groaning as I helped her retrieve her suitcase from the trunk.

"I hate you," she moaned. "Every time you and travel are involved, I'm always hung over!"

I pulled Rose in for a hug as I laughed, "You love me! At least this time you won't have to be stuck in my SUV while driving across Nebraska."

Rose chuckled again as we said goodbye. I wiped the tears from under my eyes and blew her a kiss as I pulled away from the curb. As I was driving back into the city, my phone chirped with a text message from Rose. It read, "I fucking miss you already. Love you!"

I quickly replied that I loved her too. It was officially time to start living my new life here in Denver.

-o-o-o-

Once I got settled in, I got into a routine. During the afternoons, I would meet Esme for coffee. We'd talk about the Cullen family and Renee. It was during these times that I realized I felt like I belonged with the Cullens. Esme was the motherly presence that I missed in my life, and Carlisle offered the fatherly advice Charlie never had time for.

After I moved to Denver, I determined to change my last name to Cullen. It is common for divorcees to change their last names back to their maiden names, but I was no longer the Isabella Swan from years past. Not to mention, I no longer felt like a Swan at all since Charlie and I hardly spoke. Some women choose to create a new last name for themselves, but I felt that the new-found connection I had with the Cullens and their connection to my mom, made her last name the best choice.

During our first few coffee dates, Esme would tell me more about my mom. I learned about how Renee met Charlie when he was attending law school at the University of Denver. I also heard childhood stories about how Carlisle, Esme, and Renee would get into trouble. It was wonderful to spend time with my mother's best friend. Esme allowed me to see a side of Renee I would never have had the chance to know otherwise.

While I enjoyed my coffee dates alone with Esme, I loved the days that Alice met up with us. She had such a loving and open nature. Often, she would tell me stories others thought were scandalous. Sometimes Alice would divulge too much information, but most days, she would just make me laugh. Today's coffee date with Alice and Esme was definitely an interesting one.

Esme and I were enjoying a cup of coffee at Dazbog, when Alice came waltzing in the door. She smiled brightly and chirped, "Hi!"

After exchanging hugs with Esme and me, Alice jumped right into our conversation. Esme and I had been discussing my book and how I had settled on the title, 'A Woman Scorned.'

"You know, Bella," Alice laughed prematurely, "You are definitely not the first woman scorned in our family. Hell, you aren't even the first woman to get revenge on a cheating husband!"

As Alice continued to laugh, I looked at Esme for clarification. Esme cleared her throat and explained, "Your grandfather once strayed from your grandmother. She never said a word to him about the affair, but she did make his life miserable until he stopped seeing his mistress. It wasn't until years later that she admitted what she did to him."

"What did she do?" I asked.

Alice laughed again as she explained, "She dusted all of his condoms with itching powder!"

"Huh?" I said, wondering what the hell they were talking about. That didn't make any sense.

"Condoms used to come in paper envelopes back when Grandpa had his affair. Grandma took all of his condoms out of the envelopes and dusted them with itching powder before placing them back in the envelopes. When Grandpa tried to have sex with his mistress, he had a few 'problems'. The incident spread through society gossip like wildfire after he showed-up at the hospital screaming, 'My Cock is on fire!'," Alice cackled loudly.

"Alice," Esme whisper yelled, "Keep your voice down! People are staring!"

I looked around and people were staring at us. I'm sure it had to do with Alice yelling out that her cock was on fire. As I thought about what people heard and about Grandma and the condoms, I giggled. Soon, the three of us were clutching our sides and gasping for air.

I composed myself and had an idea. "I know Grandma's first name was Marie, and that I was given my middle name after her, but what was her maiden name?" I inquired.

"Brandon," Esme answered. "Her name was Marie Brandon."

-o-o-o-

I spent the next four months working on my book. Emmett was a tremendous help coming up with revenge plans. He was quick to tell me which plans were lame and which were evil genius. Between the two of us, my book was coming along quickly.

I was invigorated by the lovely Colorado weather and one of my favorite pastimes was typing on my laptop out on the balcony of the condo. It seemed like I had an unending supply of motivation. For the first time since I'd left Edward, I was able to breathe. I felt a sense of relief after I wrote a chapter about torturing him or Tanya. I had hoped when I began writing this book it would give me a healthy outlet for my overwhelming anger, and that's just what it was doing.

As Annabelle's journey progressed and she became a stronger woman, I felt myself getting stronger. There was still a long way to go, but I finally felt like I would be able to move past this and be a better person. I was no longer afraid of becoming a bitter shell of my former self.

While Anna's progression was helping me heal, I was having trouble writing a suitable ending for the book. After many heart-to-hearts with Esme, Alice, and Rose, I decided to write an ending that I would want for myself. After I typed the last word, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and a twinge of hope.

I spent the next few weeks editing my manuscript and putting together a publishing packet. I was thankful for my prior experience as an editor. Victoria Hunter, my old classmate from the University of Chicago, was now an editor at Crown Publishing House. My manuscript fit into their genre of works, so I would submit it to them.

I called Victoria. She was intrigued by the plot and promised to give it a read. While she couldn't guarantee that they would publish it, Victoria was allowing me to submit my publishing packet without having to go through an agent. I had never been more thankful that I had kept in touch with people through the University of Chicago Alumni Association.

Even though Victoria was looking it over, I continued to submit it to other potential publishing houses. Hopefully, one would be interested.

-o-o-o-

When I wasn't working on my book, I was spending time with Alec. While we may not be involved, I was finding that he was quickly turning into one of my favorite people.

Our friendship developed slowly over the last few months. My apartment and Alec's condo were in the same complex. The Glass House community was located downtown and was comprised of two skyscrapers, but they did share communal spaces, so that's why I ran into him one night at the gym. I was in the middle of a weight circuit when Alec began his lifting routine.

For the first week, I would sometimes see Alec at the gym and I would also run into him in the mailroom. After the third random meeting, Alec asked me if I wanted to run into him on purpose the next evening. When he clarified that we would be meeting as friends, I agreed. Thus started our new routine.

On most nights out, we would laugh and joke with each other. After much probing, Alec admitted that one day he would like to have a wife and children; however, he wasn't sure how to go about meeting the right girl. At the age of 32, Alec was still enjoying being a bachelor, but thought the caliber of girl he met was lacking.

"Alec, did you ever stop to think that you're meeting the wrong girls because you aren't looking for the right ones?" I asked one evening.

"Maybe I'm just waiting for you to realize that I'm perfect for you," he quipped.

After I shot him a dirty look, Alec continued, "Just kidding. I know I need to try and meet girls at places other than clubs. Any suggestions?"

"How do you feel about volunteering?" I asked.

"I guess I could do that," Alec answered. "It would be nice to meet some women who aren't so self-involved."

"I volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I know that Emmett volunteers with the Make-A-Wish foundation. You could always join one of us sometime, unless you'd like to find your own charity," I informed him.

Over the next few weeks, Alec would join me when I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House. We would help clean rooms, prepare meals, or help with other tasks for the director. I truly came to enjoy Alec's presence. Once I looked past his man-whore exterior, he appeared to be a genuinely nice person. He made me laugh almost everyday.

While Alec liked working there, he soon found that he was passionate about Habitat for Humanity. A few of his friends were trying to put together a group to volunteer at one of the local construction sites, but they still needed a few people to help build a home for a local family. Once Alec informed us of the situation, Alice, Emmett, Felix, and I agreed to join him next Saturday at the construction site.

Saturday morning I grabbed a cup of coffee and met the group down at the local construction site. Along with our small group, there were three other volunteers. I looked over to see a tall, thin woman with long dark hair and almond eyes. Next to her stood a slightly smaller man with black hair and grey eyes. They both appeared to be friendly and waved at me as I approached them. However, I was instantly distracted as I caught sight of the last person on our team.

_Holy mother of fuck...._

There, across the lot, was a beautiful man. He was at least six feet tall with a masculine build. He was muscular, but not overly defined. There was nothing pretty or delicate about his strong facial features. His bright blues eyes were a sharp contrast to his black hair. This man was nothing like my pretty and lithe ex-husband. He was handsome and rugged in a manly, dangerous way.

_I just want to rub my body all over him..._

In that moment I believed every evolutionary claim about mating. I didn't know his name, but my ovaries were screaming out that they wanted to bear his children.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

I was brought out of my shameless staring when Alice snapped her fingers in front of my face. "Earth to Bella," she chanted. When I met her amused gaze, she continued, "You alright? Need me to get you anything?"

_A new pair of panties..._

I just shook my head and turned to Alec as he made the introductions. The couple I noticed earlier was Ben and Angela Cheney and they were looking forward to helping the community. Angela was a lovely woman and I could tell we'd become fast friends. The two of us continued to talk as Mr. Fuck-me-hard joined our group.

Angela smiled at me knowingly and said, "Bella Cullen, meet Tyler Crowley. Tyler is a Project Director for one of the local construction management firms."

I held out my hand to Tyler and said, "Hello, Tyler."

Tyler shook my hand and gave me an unimpressed look. He barely looked at me as he said, "Hello," sounded more like a dismissal than a greeting, and then hurriedly walked away.

_What the hell?_

I asked Angela, "Is he normally like that?"

Her eyes were wide and she shook her head as she answered, "No. Tyler is one of the nicest and most genuine people you will ever meet. I don't know what his problem is."

I didn't know what Tyler Crowley's problem was either, but he was a jerk to me for the rest of the day. I continually tried to engage him in conversation, but he either ignored me or called me Princess. Towards the end of the day, I hit my thumb with a hammer.

"Shit!" I yelled out as I jumped up and down.

Tyler looked over at me and sneered, "What's wrong Princess? Break a nail?"

_Motherfucker..._

That was it. I had taken enough shit from him for the day. Eyes blazing, I turned on him, "What the hell is your problem? I have been nothing but nice to you all day, yet you insist on treating me like I'm the Antichrist. You don't even know me!"

Tyler's eyes hardened as he answered me, "I don't need to know you, Princess. You're a Cullen. Your whole family thinks its God's gift to Denver. I don't feel the need to socialize with a bitchy socialite."

_That asshole..._

"Wow. To think I believed you might be a decent guy. You don't know anything about me or my family. The only one who is acting like a bitch here today, is you," I growled.

At that moment, I realized that I had been moving closer to Tyler during my rant. I was right up in his face and pushing into his chest with my index finger. The close proximity was making my head spin.

_The fucker actually smelled good. Focus Bella..._

Tyler grabbed my finger and snorted back, "Don't poke, me little girl. I don't find you, your money, or your flirting, amusing."

I snorted back, "I may have thought you were gorgeous earlier, but then you opened your mouth. Trust me, I have no interest in flirting with you or your _charming_ personality."

_Lies. All lies._

"Well it's good to know that I won't have to let you down gently then. Some men might like the bitchy, entitled, rich-girl attitude, but I don't. It's nice to know you think I'm gorgeous though," he said condescendingly.

"You're a dick," I blurted out.

Tyler reached up and pushed a stray hair behind my ear. "I know," he said huskily. "See you around, Princess."

I just stood there in confused wonder as I watched him turn around and leave the construction site.

_What the fuck just happened?!?_

-o-o-o-

Tyler Crowley did see me around. He saw me around the next Thursday at the Ronald McDonald House. I was manning the check-in desk because we were anticipating a new family. When the door opened, I looked up and was met with the piercing blue eyes of Tyler Crowley.

I assume I had a shocked look on my face because he laughed and said, "Surprised to see me, Princess?"

"I'm surprised that you have time to grace anyone with your presence. You're so important," I retorted.

_What is it about this man that turned me into a raging bitch? _

Tyler didn't answer me. Instead, he just raised an eyebrow in my direction.

God, the man infuriated me. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

Tyler quickly explained that his company was donating the time and manpower to build a second Ronald McDonald House in the Denver-Metro area. As the Project Director, he wanted to come down to the current house and have a look around and get some feedback from the House Director about the project.

I quickly informed Tyler that the Director would not be in for another half-hour; however, I would be happy to give him a tour of the facilities until she arrived.

He agreed and we went on our way.

It was obvious that Tyler was not happy to be spending time with me. He would politely ask questions and tried to remain indifferent, but his face revealed his blatant hatred. His questions were elementary in nature, and delivered in such a condescending way, that I was taking it personally.

After five minutes, I finally cracked. "Tyler, I know you don't like me, but this is ridiculous. I'm trying to give you the information that you'll need to build a new house. Don't shirk your questions because you don't want to interact with me. I would hate for the project to be affected by your hostility. If you'd prefer, I can get someone else to help you."

"Someone thinks highly of herself," Tyler replied in a snide tone. "You don't have any affect on me at all. I would never jeopardize this charity because of a spoiled socialite."

Before I could stop myself, I shouted, "You don't even know me!" like the spoiled little brat he just accused me of being. Perfect.

"I agree. My opinion of you could be unfounded, but I doubt it," he stated succinctly.

I had finally had my fill of Tyler Crowley. He may be sexy, but he was just cruel and a real asshole. This situation was no longer funny or any sort of banter or flirtation. In fact, I'm not sure it ever was banter for him. My feelings were hurt and I was through trying to help him. I tried to control my emotions, but I'm sure the hurt and anger was radiating from my body. I turned away from Tyler and told him that the tour was over.

Tyler must have realized that he pushed me too far, because he growled out in frustration, "Look, I'm sorry. You just rub me the wrong way."

_The ways I would rub you.... I guarantee none of them would be wrong._

My sassy internal-voice was back on in full-force and apparently broken. By the look on Tyler's face, I could tell that I had said that last thought out loud. I was desperately trying to think of something to say when Tyler angrily stalked towards me.

I opened and closed my mouth silently, begging my subconscious to come up with a witty remark. Just as I was about to speak, Tyler forcefully pressed his lips against mine. Once my mind registered what was happening, I tried to push him away. I stopped pushing as Tyler crushed my body against his. Then the kiss turned aggressive, possessive, and hot-as-hell. I met Tyler's kiss with the same force and desperation as I clawed at his shoulders.

We broke apart when the need for air became too great. Tyler smirked at me and panted out, "You still rub me the wrong way, Princess. Obviously, you overrate your own skills."

Just as I was about to rip Tyler a new asshole, the House Director came around the corner. "Are you ready for our meeting, Mr. Crowley?" she asked.

Tyler gave her an affirmative answer and smirked at me as he walked away.

_What the fuck just happened?_

-o-o-o-

The next morning I was still reeling from my run-in with Tyler Crowley.

_Who the hell did that asshole think he was?_

I was so angry and _turned-on_ by the whole situation. He drove me crazy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to strangle him or fuck the bastard senseless. I barely knew this man, but I hadn't been this passionate about anyone or anything since Edward. That thought alone scared the hell out of me.

In an effort to distract myself, I went downstairs to retrieve my mail. I opened my mailbox to see that I had received a large-manila envelope. Inside the envelope was a letter from Crown Publishing House. They were interested in publishing the novel, 'A Woman Scorned' by Marie Brandon…

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism**** and support. This week's bribe is a RPOV of her conversation with Edward. Get excited because next week we will be at the Prologue! Also, I will be posting last week's bribe in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**I would love to take credit for all the ideas in this chapter, but I can't. One reader actually dusted her husband's condoms with Bengay. I accidentally erased your message so I don't know your name, but thank you for the wonderful idea and laughs. **

**I finally cracked and joined the twitter nation. If you would like to follow me, my name is Bella_Baby24.**

**Thank you to everyone who has recommended this story! I'm so incredibly flattered. **

**If you haven't read them before, be sure to check out the following stories:**

**-Vickitori- Waiting for Dr. Right**

**-D Pattinson- The Hot Corner**

**Lastly, A Woman Scorned has been nominated for two Shimmer Awards! One for Most Memorable Quote and one for Best New Author. Thank you to whoever nominated this story! It really made my day!**

**If you read through this entire A/N, you deserve a gold star! Or maybe, I should just give you a hint about the next chapter. There will be a lemon =)**


	9. Blast From The Past Part 1

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Disclaimer 2: I am not responsible for anyone trying these crazy ideas in real life. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, do not try this stuff at home. It's fun to read about Bella's book and the fantasies she has for revenge, but it's not funny in real life. It may lead to a criminal record and it makes you look sad. Don't be **_**THAT**_** girl. Take a note from Bella and write down all of your revenge ideas.**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.**

**Irritable Grizzzly- Thanks for keeping my ass in line. I adore you and your bluntness.**

* * *

**2008 (At Prologue)**

"Hmmmph," Alice huffed out as she slammed her head on the table.

The two of us were sitting at the Cullen dining room table mulling over the details for the upcoming charity gala for the Denver Children's Hospital. Alice had planned the event down to the last detail, but still was not happy about the layout.

"Seriously, Alice, it will be ok. I'm sure this is good enough," I soothed.

Alice lifted her head and glared at me, "Really, Bella? I have over four hundred guests coming and if the layout isn't right, the event won't flow correctly."

I held up my hands and backed away from the table slowly. "Sorry, Alice," I said cautiously, "I'll let you rearrange some things. Maybe Esme will be able to help."

Alice sighed, "I'm sorry, Bella. I'm just really stressed lately. Felix and I aren't doing so well and I think he's going to leave me."

I would never tell Alice, but I was hoping that she would break up with Felix. They were two of my closest friends, but they didn't work well as a couple. Alice kept hoping that Felix would propose. Felix, on the other hand, didn't think marrying Alice would be a wise decision. They were at a crossroads and I hoped the two would realize that they wanted different things out of life before they wasted too much time.

"I'm sure it will work out the way it's supposed to, Alice," I said. I debated about continuing on my line of thinking, but I knew now was not the time. She was stressed-out enough as it was.

Alice waved away my response and continued to work on the gala details.

After a few hours, the two of us were happy with the event layout and were discussing what dresses we were intending to wear to the gala. Alice was insistent that I needed to go shopping for a new one; however, I just planned to wear a black dress that I bought last year.

In the middle of our argument, Carlisle walked through the door. He raked his hands through his hair and gave me an apologetic glance.

"Hi, Bella. If you have a minute, could I talk to you in my office?"

"Sure," I answered.

I followed Carlisle to his office and took a seat on the leather couch. Carlisle sat down next to me.

"Bella, today I was in a meeting with the other Service Chiefs at the hospital, when the Chief of Pediatric Oncology started talking about a new hire."

As soon as I heard the phrase, 'Pediatric Oncology', I knew who the new hire was. My palms began to sweat as I listened to Carlisle.

_No, no, no. This can't be happening._

"Bella, he hired a Dr. Edward Masen. It appears that Dr. Masen just finished his fellowship at the University of Chicago Hospital," Carlisle explained.

"Edward is in Denver," I stated slowly.

Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder and continued, "Yes. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't be surprised if you saw him at the charity gala."

I thanked Carlisle and left his office in a daze. I couldn't believe that Edward was here in Denver. I wanted to be angry, but it made sense. The Denver Children's Hospital had some of the best programs in the nation. Of course Edward would want to be here. It would be a step-up from the University of Chicago Hospital.

_Son. Of. A. Bitch._

As I walked back into the dining room, the final piece of Carlisle's information radiated in my thoughts. I would be seeing Edward at the charity gala. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. There would be over four hundred people at the event. Maybe I wouldn't see him.

_Who was I kidding? Of course I would see him._

I looked over at Alice and said, "You're right. I need a new dress. I'll pick you up on Saturday at ten a.m."

_I have to look amazingly sexy..._

-o-o-o-

The night of the charity gala arrived. Alec agreed to be my date after some serious negotiations. He would dote on me and help me appear sexy and confident in exchange for accompanying him to three future work events.

As we walked into the gala, Alec tightened his arm around my waist and kissed my neck.

I giggled, "You're going to capitalize on my request to act like my date tonight, aren't you?"

"Hell, yes," Alec exclaimed, "It will give me a chance to brush up on my game."

I scoffed at Alec's answer.

"What?" he replied, "If you treat me right, I may just put-out tonight."

I snorted and Alec gave me his signature wink.

"Hey," Alec said defensively, "I'm known for my panty-dropping charm. It's not my fault that your panties are defective."

I laughed, "You know I love you, ya big manwhore."

"Be nice now. As far as everyone else knows, you adore me. They all think I'm definitely getting laid tonight. So try to act like you enjoy my touch and charm," Alec teased.

"You are my favorite person right now. Only you could make me laugh at this ridiculous situation," I stated.

I leaned into Alec and linked my arm through his. We waltzed into the event as a cohesive and loving couple.

-o-o-o-

Walking into the gala, I could feel the underlying current. My body buzzed at the awareness that Edward was near me. When Alec left my side to get us some champagne, I moved to the edge of the balcony. The view allowed me to see most of the people at the event.

I tried not to be obvious in my search for Edward, but I was desperate to see him. The man had been my best friend and lover for almost a decade. He knew me on a level that no one else did. I missed having that deep emotional connection with someone.

The concept of a loving husband is what I missed. Not Edward.

_Sure. Keep telling yourself that._

I needed to stop courting disaster. Edward was here at the gala; however, there was no reason for me to pursue a sighting of him. It would only end in disappointment and heartache. I should enjoy my evening as if he weren't here.

Just as I decided to stop looking for Edward, it happened.

It was almost as if I were watching a movie. Time slowed down and the crowd parted to reveal the most gorgeous man I had ever known. My mind was demanding that I hate him; however, my heart leapt with joy at the mere sight of him.

From my perch above the ballroom, I openly appraised him without fear of detection. I stared at the profile of the man who used to lie next to me in bed every night and wished I could trace my fingers along his jaw one last time. It had been three years since I had last seen him in person and time had been good to him. Gone were the circles under his eyes and the hollow expressions on his face. He appeared to be well-rested and his face displayed animated expressions. I watched as he tossed his head back and laughed at a joke one of his companions told. Although I was on a balcony across the room, I could hear the velvety undertones of the laugh that used to melt my soul.

I watched him and remembered a time when his laughter, smiles, and kisses belonged to me. I could almost feel his arms around me and hear his velvety voice whisper sweet nothings in my ear. I longed to run my fingers through his gorgeous bronze hair while I assaulted his mouth with my tongue. I would kill to be the object of his admiration once again. It may have been three years, but the man still owned me. My body longed to be near him and underneath him once again. The mere memories of our prior sexcapades had me salivating at the sight of him.

My reminiscing was cut short when he looked up and noticed me appraising him. His body stiffened and his bright greens eyes widened in surprise as he recognized me. I could see the battle raging inside him as he tried to determine how to acknowledge my presence. The guilt, longing, and, dare I say, lust, radiated off of him as he drank in the sight of me. I looked damn sexy tonight, and I knew it. In a moment of courage, I lifted and tilted my champagne glass towards him. I threw a brilliant smile and a wink in his direction before I turned around and walked away from the balcony and him.

Let him wonder what the gesture meant. Let him stew over my amusement at his presence. As far as he knew, he was my ex-husband, the man who destroyed my life and shattered my heart. My prior gesture would be a contradiction to the role he supposedly played in my life. Little did he know that he was the inspiration behind my best-selling novel, 'A Woman Scorned.' The things that fictional me did to fictional him had made me millions. He should thank his lucky stars that I only wrote about my plans for revenge and that the real "me" had too much class to send sex toys to his workplace.

I smiled to myself as I thought of 'A Woman Scorned'.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Flashback to 2007 (1 Year Ago)**

After six months of editing and tough decisions, 'A Woman Scorned' was finally on the shelves of every bookstore. My editor, Victoria, was upset about my choice to use a pen name because it diminished my desire to promote the book; however, she was doing an excellent job of getting my name out there. She focused on different internet selling techniques and even arranged for a book tour that would not stop in either Denver or Chicago. To avoid unnecessary attention, a photo was not taken for the book.

While Victoria took her job seriously, Alice determined that she would help me market my work as well. She shamelessly promoted 'A Woman Scorned' with different divorce support groups and recommended the book to everyone she knew. Through sheer dumb luck, Ellen Degeneres' makeup artist belonged to an online divorce support group that Alice contacted.

The makeup artist, Dianne, was reading 'A Woman Scorned' at work one day when she busted out laughing in front of Ellen. When Ellen asked what was so funny, Dianne read a revenge plot from the book out loud.

In that particular plot, Anna and Lily were trying to show Tanya's what she was good for. They took an old photo from the last family vacation to Hawaii of Tanya in a bikini. Anna used the photo to promote Tanya's sexual services on AdultFriendFinder, Craig's List, and different personal ads throughout the city. The ad read: "Horny woman looking to get laid. I'm not picky about body types or ages, I just want your hard cock in me. I'm into anal and oral sex. Use me for your pleasure. Call me anytime (day or night) to schedule a rendezvous." At the end of the ad, were three telephone numbers. Tanya's cellphone, Tanya's work phone, and Masen's home phone.

Apparently, Ellen found the plot funny, because four weeks later, she was recommending 'A Woman Scorned' to the audience of The Ellen Degeneres Show. I will never forget her saying, "I may not have a fancy book club or anything, but I can recommend this hilarious book, 'A Woman Scorned' by Marie Brandon. It's the must-have book for every woman who has ever been cheated on."

Ellen wanted to have me on the show, but settled for interviewing me via phone. She joked about Anna's revenge plots to ruin Masen and Tanya's lives. After the show aired, book sales skyrocketed and 'A Woman Scorned' debuted on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

Shortly after the book became a best-seller, it was a topic of interest on some of the late night shows. Jimmy Kimmel referred to Marie Brandon and said that all men should fear for their testicles because women were turning ruthless. His jokes further catapulted sales.

**End of Flashback**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was brought back to the present when Alec came up behind me and started humming the theme song to 'Al Diablo con los Guapos' in my ear. 'Al Diablo con los Guapos' is a Mexican soap-opera that plays on the Spanish channel, Univision. The boys had started watching Univision because they were learning Spanish for work. There had been an increase in the Hispanic population in Denver and their advertising firm was paying its employees to learn more about the culture and language so that they could increase their market share.

There were many evenings when Alec and I would watch Univision together so that he could get a better feel for the language. One of our favorite games was to watch a Tivo'd episode of 'Al Diablo con los Guapos' and create our own English dialogue. Afterwards, we would watch the episode again and determine what really happened. The person with the closest scenario to the truth would get to chose what other Tivo'd show we would watch that night.

Alec and I had seen the show so many times, that we knew the theme song by heart. Whenever we were in public and one of us identified a potentially scandalous situation, we would hum the theme song to the other in warning. So when Alec started humming in my ear at the gala, I knew that we were getting ready to head into a drama-filled situation.

I quickly looked around and was unable to find the source of Alec's tension. I cocked an eyebrow at him and said, "I'm not seeing it."

Alec laughed and replied, "One o'clock."

"My clock or yours?" I asked.

"Mine," Alec responded.

I timidly looked over my left shoulder and gasped at what I saw. Fifteen feet away from me, Edward was talking to someone I never wanted him to meet.

_What the fuck?_

My mind was reeling as I observed their body language. The two men appeared to be familiar with each other, but nothing more than casual acquaintances.

I gave Alec a panicked look. "This can't be good."

Before Alec could respond, Alice and Felix joined us. Felix noticed my tense body language and inquired, "What's going on?"

Alec pointed towards Edward and said, "We're watching the first official meeting of the 'I've Screwed Bella Club'."

I smacked Alec's arm and snarked, "You're just sad that you're not a member of the club."

"That could be it. What are the perks of membership again?" Alec quipped.

"The complimentary t-shirts are pretty awesome. Not to mention, the orgasms are rumored to be mind-blowing," I deadpanned.

Alice waved her hand in front of my face to catch my attention. When I looked at her, she asked, "How do they know each other?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I have no idea. It looks like they could be acquaintances or strangers who just met."

Felix gave me a huge smile and teased, "Out of the all the people here, your ex-husband talks to the only other man in the room that you've fucked. That's hilarious."

I smacked Felix on the arm and replied sarcastically, "It's _so_ funny. Laugh it up, Felix."

My reaction caused Felix to laugh harder. He looked at Alec and said, "Fifty bucks says Tyler loses his shit when he realizes he's talking to Bella's Ex."

Alec laughed. After he caught his breath, he responded, "This is Crowley we're talking about. Of course he's going to lose his shit. To be a good bet, it will have to be specific. I bet $100 that if he figures out that Edward is Bella's ex, he'll drag her out of the room and demand an explanation."

As the boys continued to haggle over the terms of the bet, I started to wonder what Tyler's reaction would be. He would not be thrilled that Edward was in Denver. I began to reminisce about the evolution and downfall of Tyler's and my relationship.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Flashback to 2006 (1 1/2 Years Ago)**

After my heated kiss with Tyler at the Ronald McDonald House, I was in turmoil. That kiss was passionate and I wanted more. However, I was infuriated with myself for wanting to spend time with such an asshole.

I phoned Rose and told her about the situation. She was not thrilled.

"What the hell are you thinking, Bella?!" Rose yelled at me.

"He's just so sexy and the whole angry kiss thing was incredibly hot," I said.

I heard Rose take a deep breath before she continued, "No. I don't see anything sexy about a man who judges you and belittles you moments before he kisses you. Do I really need to explain to you why this guy is all kinds of wrong?"

"No, Rose," I answered.

"I'm serious, B," she warned, "I am so close to flying out to Denver and giving you an intervention. Either that, or beating you with a Louisville Slugger."

"Rose!" I admonished.

"Bella!" she mocked, "Start looking for the nice guys and stay away from assholes and sluts. They can do more damage than a Louisville Slugger."

Rose and I continued to chat about men and how I needed to focus on improving my life, instead of looking for future ex-husbands. Before I hung up the phone, I agreed that I would stay away from Tyler Crowley.

-o-o-o-

Even though I resolved to stay away from Tyler, I was still interested to know why he so adamantly hated my family. I called Alice and asked her to meet me at our favorite cafe for lunch.

When I explained the situation to Alice, she stared at me with a guilty expression. She dropped her eyes and said, "Bella, there's a reason why Tyler Crowley hates us. Mostly, it's my fault."

"What do you mean Alice?" I asked.

Alice took a deep breath and explained, "When I was building my new office, I hired Tyler's Construction Management Company to oversee the project. At the time, Tyler was one of the up-and-coming Project Managers and he was assigned to oversee the construction.

A friend of the family, Marcus Volturi, also worked for Tyler's company. The two were competing for a promotion to become Project Director. As a favor to Marcus, I called Tyler's boss and had him pulled off the project. I threw around my last name and told Tyler's boss that I was unhappy and requested Marcus finish the job.

It wasn't until later that Marcus told me that Tyler was almost fired. He was placed on probation and did not receive the promotion because he almost lost a big account. Tyler was a hard worker and I set back his career by years. This whole incident happened three years ago, but Tyler just now received the promotion that he should have been awarded back then," Alice said.

"Alice..." I admonished.

"I know, Bella," Alice whispered. "It gets worse. I guess Emmett pulled a similar stunt with a building for the Make-A-Wish Foundation."

I cringed at the thought that my family could be so cruel. "Were there reasons for doing this to Tyler? " I asked.

"No. We were trying to help Marcus, and Tyler always seemed to be the one to get hurt," Alice explained. "I promise it's all over. We haven't interfered in years. Esme tore Emmett and me new assholes when she found out. We apologized, but there wasn't much we could do to fix the situation."

"That was a shitty thing to do, Alice. No wonder the man hates our family," I sighed.

The conversation with Alice confirmed what I already knew. Tyler was judging me based on who my family was. While I wished he would give me a chance to prove him wrong, I knew the best thing I could do was stay away from him.

-o-o-o-

Each week, I would see Tyler at the Ronald McDonald House or at Habitat for Humanity sites when I volunteered with Alec. I was polite when necessary, but I generally left him alone.

Things changed a month later when I ran into Tyler at the Lucky Strike Bowling Alley in the Denver Pavilions. I was out enjoying the evening with the gang, when I went up to the bar to order a round of drinks.

As I waited for my order, I realized that Tyler and some of his coworkers were siting near me. I waved in greeting and smiled when they waved back.

"Hey, Bella. I hear you're working on the new Ronald McDonald House. Any chance you might want me on the project?" Marcus drunkenly asked me.

I was infuriated that Marcus would ask me such a question in public. It was obvious that his co-workers overheard the question, because they stopped talking to hear my answer. When I looked towards Tyler, I saw that his posture had stiffened.

I politely smiled at Marcus and answered, "I really don't have anything to do with those decisions, Marcus. I'm sure that your company would have included you in the project if they thought you were the most qualified."

After I was sure that Tyler and his co-workers overheard my answer, I leaned in closer to Marcus and whispered, "If you ever ask me for a favor like that again, I will make you regret it."

As I was leaving the bar area, I heard Marcus sneer, "She's such a bitch." The laughter of his coworkers followed me out.

-o-o-o-

After the incident at Lucky Strike, Tyler made a concentrated effort to get to know me. When he came to the Ronald McDonald House, he would bring me coffee and start conversations about random things. I continued to maintain my distance because he hadn't apologized to me for his previous behavior.

One Saturday, after volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Tyler asked me if I would like to go get a smoothie. I was about to decline the offer, but when he clarified that he just wanted to talk, I agreed.

After we ordered our drinks, Tyler said, "Bella, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I assumed that I knew who you were and I treated you horribly. I have a history with your family and I thought you would act like a spoiled socialite."

Tyler's face was flushed in embarrassment as he explained the situation. I could tell that he truly regretted his prior actions.

"Alice told me what happened with your job. To be honest with you, I was upset with both her and Emmett. I can understand why you are weary of my family, but it didn't give you license to judge me. Thank you for apologizing though," I added.

"So what do you say? Can we start over?" Tyler asked.

"Sure," I answered with a smile.

We spent the next few hours talking and laughing about anything and everything. I had a feeling that Tyler and I would become great friends. Maybe even more...

-o-o-o-

Over the next few months, Tyler and I established a routine. If we both were assigned as volunteers for the same construction site, then we would meet at the Jamba Juice after the job was completed. We would spend a few hours catching up before Tyler walked me home.

As our friendship progressed, the sexual tension between the two of us grew. Soon, Tyler was kissing my cheek each time he dropped me off at home.

Eventually, we took our friendship to the next level. One afternoon, Tyler leaned down and tentatively placed his lips on mine after he walked me to my door. Unlike our first kiss, this one was soft and sweet. I felt the fire building beneath my skin and I snaked my hands up into his hair. He tasted like peppermint candies.

Tyler's fingers dug into my lower back as he pulled my body closer to his. His hands left a blazing trail of heat as they grazed down my sides to my hips. He gripped my ass as he roughly pulled my hips to his. I felt an involuntary gush of desire between my legs.

_Fucking Panty Terrorist._

I pulled away when I needed to breathe and panted out, "Would you like to come in?"

As soon as my door closed behind us, all the pent-up sexual tension between us was unleashed. Tyler grabbed me behind my neck and forcefully brought my mouth to his.

My scalp deliciously tingled from where Tyler was pulling my hair. I desperately clawed at his shirt, dying to feel his skin under my fingers.

Our kiss was broken when I tugged Tyler's shirt above his head. I roughly dug my fingernails into his shoulders as I pulled him towards me. I needed to feel his mouth on mine. The peppermint taste of his tongue was quickly becoming an addiction. My hands splayed across his muscular chest as he continued to plunder my mouth.

Tyler's large hands gripped my hips as I shamelessly rubbed my body against his.

_Bella, stop acting like a freaking cat..._

With an aggressive growl, Tyler picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He continued to grope my ass as he walked me further into my apartment. When I ground my hips into his massive erection, Tyler's control broke. He pushed me up against the wall and forcefully pressed his cock against my damp pants.

_Hello there…._

All I could feel was Tyler's hot, open-mouthed kisses against my neck as he wrestled with my blouse. He nipped at my earlobe and said, "Unless you want me to take you right here, tell me where your room is."

I stuttered out directions to my room as my fingers rushed to pull my bra off. The feeling of my breasts pressed against Tyler's bare chest was overwhelming. My nipples hardened and saluted the sexy man carrying me. I was so caught up in the feel of Tyler's chest that I barely noticed when he laid me on the bed.

I tore at Tyler's belt buckle as he latched himself onto my breast. His tongue rolled over my nipple before he lightly bit down.

The wet, tugging sensation caused me to grow impatient. I began to furiously tug at Tyler's pants, but they refused to cooperate.

He let out a throaty laugh. "Someone's impatient."

I was too turned on to be amused by his teasing. I growled out, "Shut-up and get naked."

Tyler's eyes flashed with raw lust as he quickly removed his pants.

"Fuck. I can't wait until I'm in you," he moaned.

I handed him a condom and slowly removed my panties. Tyler drew in a ragged breath when he saw me laid out for him.

"God, you're beautiful," Tyler reverently whispered.

"So are you," I said as I ran my hands up his chiseled chest.

Tyler crawled up between my legs until his covered cock brushed against my sex. My hips bucked in needy anticipation.

"Please," I pleaded.

_I really want this…_

I was overwhelmed by the pleasurable stretching sensation. It had been _way_ too long since a real dick had been in me. I wrapped my legs around Tyler's waist as he began to thrust into me.

The coil in my stomach tightened as we increased our pace. My fingernails dug into Tyler's pert ass as I tried to get him to delve in deeper.

"Fuck," I ground out.

Tyler withdrew from me and pushed my legs up to my chest. He told me to cross my ankles as he hoisted my calves up to his left shoulder.

Tyler used my legs for leverage and forcefully entered me again.

_Holy fuck._

The new angle and position allowed me to squeeze him tightly. I could feel every inch and groove of him as he slid in and out of me.

"Shit, Bella," he grunted.

I clawed at Tyler's abs and begged him, "I'm so fucking close."

We moved erratically with each other as our pace quickened. The sound of skin slapping against skin drove me crazy. Each time he bottomed-out in me, I shivered in ecstasy.

_Shit, I needed this._

Suddenly I could feel each muscle in me tightening around Tyler as he pulsed within me. My thighs shook as I came long and hard.

The only thing I could hear was the rush of my body. The only things I could see were stars.

But I could feel every nerve ending in my body tingling in satisfaction....

-o-o-o-

For the next few months, Tyler and I continued to have mad, crazy sex. We would laugh and then enjoy playful, fun sex. We would fight and then engage in rough, animalistic fucking. No matter what happened, it always ended in at least one orgasm each.

Tyler took the time to learn the secrets of my body. He would caress, lick, stroke, and bite every inch of me in search of a hot-trigger button. He rejoiced in making my body sing in ecstasy.

The two of us were a force to be reckoned with. We spent quality time together pursuing volunteer opportunities, sharing common interests, and learning each other's quirks. We lived in our own little world and communicated in our own secret language. The fantasy life we created together was amazing, overwhelming, and life-altering.

Until it all came crashing down...

**End of Flashback**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was brought back to the present by the clattering sound of my purse hitting the marble floor. The memories of the end of my relationship with Tyler had frazzled me to the point that I dropped my clutch. My belongings rolled out of my purse and onto the floor.

Apparently in my reverie, I hadn't noticed everyone had left except Alec.

He noticed my predicament and squatted down to help retrieve my belongings. We had gathered up most of my things when I realized that I was still missing my lip gloss.

"Alec, do you see my lip gloss anywhere?" I asked.

When Alec told me he hadn't, the two of us scoured around the floor hoping to find the tube before someone slipped on it. With our heads down, we did not notice the approaching man.

A familiar, velvety voice said, "I believe you dropped this..."

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**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism**** and support. This week's bribe is an EPOV of this chapter. Please be sure to read the EPOV of the Prologue befor****e reading this week's bribe. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**I finally cracked and joined the twitter nation. If you would like to follow me, my name is Bella_Baby24.**


	10. Blast From The Past Part 2

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.**

**Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for being the best beta a girl could ask for.**

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_Previously:_

"_Alec, do you see my lip gloss anywhere?" I asked. _

_When Alec told me he hadn't, the two of us scoured around the floor hoping to find the tube before someone slipped on it. With our heads down, we did not notice the approaching man._

_A familiar, velvety voice said, "I believe you dropped this..."_

**2008 (At Prologue)**

_No. No. No._

My head snapped up when I recognized who that voice belonged to. Edward was holding the lip gloss out towards me with a shaky hand.

When I caught his gaze, Edward's face lit up with a smile and his green eyes sparkled. The look on his face was reminiscent of the first time I agreed to go on a date with him. The whole encounter was giving me a feeling of déjà vu.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Flashback to 1996 (Bella decides to give Edward a Chance)**

I was standing in the middle of the Reference section at the student library trying to find books for my latest research paper. After scanning the call numbers on the spines of each book, I finally found the one I was looking for.

I was walking to a different aisle in the library when I heard a velvety voice call out, "I believe you dropped this."

When I turned around, I was met with a pair of extraordinary green eyes.

_Edward Masen._

A few weekends ago, Tanya and I had met Edward at a house party. Tanya had immediately called dibs, but he didn't appear to be interested in her. Instead, the bronze-haired junior followed me around that night.

Initially, I was flattered that such a gorgeous man was interested in me. Then Jasper and Rosalie quickly informed me that Edward had a reputation as a player. After that, I refused to flirt with or date him. I had no interest in becoming another girl he used for sex. However, when I saw him on campus during the next few weeks, he was never with any girls. Player or not, Edward was gorgeous.

He waved a piece of paper in front of my face and said, "Bella? Is this yours? Did you drop it?"

I had been so busy shamelessly staring that I forgot to answer him.

The paper held the call numbers of the necessary resources for my term paper. If I lost it, it would have cost me hours of work.

After I thanked him and retrieved it, Edward continued, "Bella, I know you said you didn't want to go to dinner with me, but could I maybe talk you into getting a cup of coffee at the cafe downstairs?"

I debated for a few minutes and determined there couldn't be any harm in one cup of coffee.

"Sure, Edward. Just let me check these materials out," I replied.

He had a victorious smile on his face as he carried my books up to the counter. After I was finished, Edward escorted me to the cafe downstairs.

-o-o-o-

When we first reached the cafe, our conversation was forced. I was distracted and intimidated by Edward's good looks. I knew I was a pretty girl, but he could have anyone he wanted.

_And he probably did._

It was that sarcastic thought that saved my afternoon with Edward. I was someone to be valued, not a random fuck. If Edward wanted to date or sleep with me, he would have to prove that he was more than just a pretty face.

After I got over my initial bout of shyness, the conversation easily flowed between us. We talked about school, family, friends, and our dreams. Once I looked past the exterior, I realized Edward was someone I had a lot in common with.

He admitted that he normally did not take the time to get to know the girls he 'dated.' In turn, I admitted that his reputation is what caused me to turn down his dinner invitations. I had assumed that he would be just another frat boy.

A few hours later, it was time for me to meet Tanya for dinner.

"It was nice talking with you, Edward," I smiled.

Edward replied, "I had fun today, Bella. Would you reconsider going to dinner with me?"

"I will go to dinner with you, but I won't be having sex with you. I don't want to waste either of our time. If you're interested in actually dating me, then here's my number," I answered as I jotted down my number and handed it to him. "If you just want to sleep with me, don't call."

Edward's face lit up with a smile and his green eyes sparkled. He was jubilant when he assured me, "I'll be calling you, Bella."

**End of Flashback**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was pulled out of my memories by the sound of Alec clearing his throat. By the look on his face, I knew I had zoned out.

I took the lip gloss and calmly said, "Thank you, Edward."

An awkward silence fell over the three of us. After a moment, I cleared my throat and said, "Alec, this is Dr. Edward Masen. Edward, please meet Alec Jensen."

Alec wound his left arm around my waist and held out his other hand to Edward.

"Nice to meet you, Edward."

"Likewise," Edward responded.

The two men shook hands and blatantly sized each other up. Never before was I so thankful to have Alec in my life. He was such a cocky man and I knew that he was driving Edward crazy with his blasé disposition. Edward looked between Alec and me, trying to determine what our relationship status was.

It was obvious that he was uncomfortable with the way Alec was touching me. Alec realized this and continued to lavish me with intimate touches. I'm sure he got a kick out of provoking Edward. Jealousy and rage were flashing behind Edward's eyes. In the past, his possessive demeanor would have turned me on; however, now it just annoyed me.

Looking at him now, and not from the Edward-colored glasses I'd had on earlier, I realized that he no longer enchanted me. The old Bella would be thrilled to see him happy and smiling. She would have laughed at the irony of meeting Edward again under the same circumstances. She would have been elated to be reunited with the love of her life.

All _I_felt was bittersweet regret.

While I enjoyed most of my time with Edward, I should have stayed away from him all those years ago. Maybe I would have found happiness with someone else. Someone who wouldn't have fucked my friend on our wedding anniversary.

_Hello, Anger._

My hands began to shake as I realized that I was still mad at Edward. In fact, I was furious with him. He inspired emotions in me that I wished were dead.

_How dare he still affect me?_

It had been years, but there were times when I really wanted to talk to Edward.

For instance, when Rosalie told me that her friend Charlotte was getting married to Edward's college friend Peter, I was dying to call Edward. It was a well-known fact in college that Charlotte and Peter hated each other. Edward and I used to tease the two of them because they were so much alike. We used to joke about how Peter and Charlotte would one day get married and have the dumbest kids alive.

I had laughed for days when Rosalie told me the news. While Rosalie thought the situation was humorous, she didn't understand the hilarity the way Edward would have.

_God, I missed the connection with him._

Our inside jokes still haunted me everyday. When I would see someone wearing a poncho, I would giggle thinking about how Edward wore one with a sombrero when we were drinking one Cinco de Mayo.

Whenever I saw someone scratch the inside of their wrist, I would remember how it used to be one of the signals we would use at social functions to let the other one know that the person we were talking to was boring and we needed to be rescued. The signal worked beautifully until one event when Edward rigorously scratched the inside of his wrist trying to get my attention. The man Edward was talking to asked him if he had a rash. I almost peed I was laughing so hard.

Prior to tonight, I naively thought I had moved past Edward's betrayal. Now I realized I was fooling myself. All of the raw pain of our fractured relationship came flooding back. My seeing him tonight was reviving all sorts of old feelings I thought I had long forgotten.

The sexual and mental attractions were still there. This was the man I had dedicated a decade of my life to. We had ten years of shared experiences and history. I was furious that Edward's affair had tainted my memories of him. Instead of remembering the wonderful things about life with Edward, all I could remember was the devastation I felt as I watched him fuck Tanya.

_Son of a fucking bitch._

Edward must have noticed the shift in my disposition because he nervously asked, "What are you doing in Denver, Bella?"

"I live here," I answered in a clipped tone. "What are _you_ doing here?"

_... Jackass_

"I just finished my fellowship and accepted a position at the Denver Children's Hospital. I'm surprised to see you here tonight. How have you been?" Edward questioned cautiously.

_Peachy._

Alec's fingers tightened around my waist in warning. He knew I was about to lose my cool and scream at Edward. I took a deep breath before I responded.

"I'm doing really well, Edward. Life is working out the way I always hoped it would."

_Except my love life.…_

Edward's eyes widened and he noticeably gulped. "I'm glad you're doing well. Are you still an Editor?"

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

One thing I did not want to talk to Edward about was my 'job'. Sure, I didn't mind if he found out about "A Woman Scorned," but that didn't mean I wanted to tell him about Masen Edwards right now.

Alec looked at me and quickly cut in, "I'm sorry to interrupt, Darling, but we really need to go over and speak with Alice. We promised that we would meet her ten minutes ago."

_Thank you, Alec._

Alec looked over at Edward and continued, "Sorry, man. Alice is the event planner running this gala. We promised to help her throughout the night."

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought we really needed to help Alice. Alec was a smooth talker.

Edward looked remorseful as he said, "Of course. Bella, it was nice to see you. Hopefully, we can catch up sometime soon."

The look on his face indicated that he was sincere. I kept my attitude in-check and replied, "I would like that, Edward."

_I would also like to put my heel up your ass._

Edward made an awkward move towards me, and lifted his arms as if he wanted to give me a hug. Before he got too far, he must have determined that the gesture wouldn't be appropriate, put his arms down and took a step back.

_I hadn't felt this awkward since I attended my first middle-school dance._

I chose to ignore it like it never happened and said, "I hope you enjoy the rest of your night, Edward."

_Look at me being so polite._

"You too," Edward answered.

As we walked away, Alec tightened his grip on my waist and leaned down to whisper in my ear, "You did well, kid."

I gave Alec a wink and replied, "Who knew you were such a smooth liar? That was totally worth going to three of your work functions."

Alec kissed my neck and laughed, "What can I say? I'm an attentive fake lover."

-o-o-o-

Alec and I rejoined Alice and Felix by the bar. After ordering a whiskey sour, I turned to Alice and said, "Well, it could have been worse."

She gave me a small hug and whispered, "From here it looked like you were indifferent. Edward, on the other hand, looked like he was in pain."

"Too bad I can't feel indifferent," I sighed. "I really wish that I could not care about him at all. But no. I want to know how the jackass is doing."

_Stupid girl._

Alec placed his hand on my lower back and joked, "Fake it 'til you make it, Bells."

"Alec would know all about girls faking it," Emmett boomed.

I looked over to my right and saw Rosalie and Emmett join our circle. Ever since Rose helped me move to Denver, she had been enamored with Emmett. The two of them talked on the phone daily when Rose had returned to Chicago.

After seven months of phone calls and two visits, Rosalie decided to move to Denver. She applied with several local newspapers and landed a job with "The Denver Post". Rose quickly moved in with me; however, she spent most of her nights with Emmett. I expected them to get engaged any day now.

Rose and Emmett had disappeared earlier in the evening and were just now reappearing. Her complexion was flushed and he was wearing a huge smile.

_I miss sex…_

"Do I even want to know?" I asked Rosalie.

She blushed and replied, "I can't help it. The man has made me insatiable."

Alec snorted, "It must suck for you, Rose. You keep having all this sex with Emmett, but you never get off. Maybe if the man got some skills you would be properly sated for once."

Alec darted behind me as Emmett lunged for him.

"Seriously, man. Premature ejaculation is a common problem. With some help, there are things you can do to last longer," he laughed.

Emmett growled, "I know how to keep my woman happy, Alec. She just can't get enough of a good thing."

"Just good?" Felix questioned. "That's sad. You would think that a sexy woman like Rosalie would want more than good. That's only one step up from 'nice'."

Emmett's face turned a bright red and it was obvious that he was going to lose his temper. However, before he could say anything, Alice interrupted.

"Stop. I don't want to hear about my brother having sex. Besides, I'm sure you both should be more concerned with honing your own skills, because it appears that Emmett has more sex than the two of you put together."

The six of us laughed loudly and the subject was changed. I looked around my group of friends and knew that coming to Denver was the best decision I had ever made.

-o-o-o-

When a big-band song started playing, Alec turned to me and said, "What do you say, B? Should we show everyone how to swing?"

I laughed and replied, "Sure, but no fancy tricks. I'm in heels and a long dress tonight."

He took my hand and led me out onto the dance floor. I was excited to swing with Alec again.

After Alice had been living with Felix for a year, she was concerned because they were no longer going out on dates. In a moment of pure insanity, she signed the two of them up to take swing dance lessons. What Alice failed to remember is that Felix would be out of town for a few weeks on business. When the dance school informed her they didn't issue refunds, she asked Alec and me if we wanted to take them over.

Six weeks later, Alec and I determined that we loved swing dancing. We made a point to go swinging at least once a month. So we were both thrilled to show off our skills, spinning and twirling to the music.

As the song went on, Alec tripped on the edge of my dress. He stumbled into another couple before he could catch his balance.

When I laughed at him, Alec grumbled, "It's not my fault. I can't believe you wore a long dress when you knew there could be swing music!"

"I can't believe you tripped into that couple," I replied.

I was still laughing when the music changed and a slow song began to play. Alec pulled me closer and said, "You know, it would be a whole lot easier if you would just agree to date me."

With a chuckle, I replied, "Sure, but you would have to give up your womanizing ways."

Alec quipped, "It might be worth it. I hear you're a freak in bed."

I tried to keep a straight face as I replied, "Seriously. It's so hard to find a man who's willing to be adventurous in bed. Usually they start running when I say 'anal beads.'"

Alec stopped dancing and gawked at me.

"If you're really a fan of anal beads, you're going to have to be my girl, Cullen," he demanded.

I laughed so hard that I snorted.

Alec glared at me and continued, "I'm not fucking around, B."

I was just about to reply when a smooth voice asked, "May I cut in?"

Alec scowled at Tyler as he agreed to let him cut in.

Tyler noticed Alec's displeasure and joked, "I'm really doing you a favor, Alec. What she failed to tell you was that the anal beads were for you."

_God, I missed this man…_

Alec's face blanched and I deadpanned, "I told you I was kinky."

Tyler and I continued to laugh as he led me around the dance floor. Once our amusement had run its course, the mood turned somber.

"How are you holding up, Princess?" Tyler asked.

A year ago, this nickname would have enraged me. Now that I knew him better, the name was more a term of endearment and an inside joke. Hearing him call me 'Princess' with adoration and concern made me feel terribly guilty. Tyler Crowley was a wonderful man and I wished things had gone differently.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**Flashback to Three Months Ago**

Tyler and I had been dating for close to six months. During the last two months, we had been spending most nights together. One morning I woke up in Tyler's Ice House loft, and was surprised that he wasn't in bed with me. I went downstairs and saw that Tyler was making omelets for breakfast. I took a moment to appreciate his boxer-clad body.

_He is beautiful._

Tyler must have noticed my presence because he called out, "Morning, Princess. Come show me some love."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed a kiss on the bare skin between his shoulder blades. I mumbled, "Good Morning," and poured myself a cup of coffee.

As we ate our breakfast, I noticed that Tyler appeared nervous. He was bouncing his right leg and was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Tyler smiled at me and responded, "I'm okay, but I would really like to talk to you about something after breakfast."

My smile faltered and my stomach dropped as I tried to determine what Tyler wanted to talk about.

_Was he breaking up with me?_

_Was something wrong?_

Tyler noticed the look on my face and quickly assured me that everything was fine. After he finished his omelet, he quietly asked, "Bella, will you move in with me?"

"No. Why would we do that," I blurted without thinking.

Tyler barked, "I don't know? Maybe because you're here almost every night anyway? Maybe because we love each other?"

_Shit. Damage control, Bella._

"I'm sorry. You just caught me off-guard," I apologized.

"Hell, Bella. I never would have asked if I knew you would react like this. I thought you wanted to live with me. You're always saying how you like waking up with me every morning," he continued.

"I do like waking up next to you. I just don't want to live with you. It's comforting to know that at the end of the day, I still have my place for when things don't…." my voice trailed off as I realized what I was about to say.

…_Work out. He's not 'The One'._

"Work out?" Tyler finished for me, understanding where I was going.

I nodded my head in affirmation.

"Is it too soon for this or will you never want to live with me?" he inquired.

It scared me that I immediately knew the answer to his question. I wasn't sure when I had made the decision, but I knew that I would never desire to live with Tyler.

"I'm not sure that I will ever want to live with a man again. I don't think it's a matter of timing, Tyler," I said gently.

He tilted his head to the side and seemed to be mulling over what I just said. After a few moments, Tyler asked, "So you never want to get married again? Or have children?"

"As of right now, no. Someday I may change my mind, but I don't think it's likely," I stated.

"You don't trust that we'll stay together. It's not a matter of if we break up, but when," Tyler surmised.

"Of course I don't trust that we'll stay together forever," I sighed, "The odds of that happening are slim to none. It would be foolish to think otherwise."

Tyler had been relatively calm, but now he was obviously infuriated. His blue eyes flashed as he retorted, "Why would it be foolish to trust me? I have never given you any reason to doubt me, Bella. Don't blame statistics. We both know that you're projecting your past relationship issues onto me."

"I know. I should trust you, but I can't," I snapped.

"Then what the hell is this all about, Bella?" he demanded. "What do you want from me? From us?"

"I don't know. I love spending time with you, but I'm not ready for anything else," I said.

The fire behind Tyler's eyes diminished as he asked, "But you don't think you'll ever be ready for more with me?"

"No," I whispered.

"We can take this at your pace. I'm willing to wait for you to trust me. We have something special, Bella. I really think this could be it for me. Please tell me that you want us to work," he pleaded.

Tyler's shoulders slumped when I didn't respond to his statement. He was expecting some kind of reassurance and I couldn't give it to him.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't have pushed you to move in with me so soon, but I want a family one day. I want to get married and have kids. Considering you don't ever want these things, I don't think we should see each other anymore," Tyler concluded.

The tears were running down my face, as I replied, "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I wish I could be that woman for you."

"Bella, you don't have to change for anyone. You deserve to be loved for who you are. I just hope that someday you will let someone into your heart and allow them to love you," Tyler said.

After a tearful hug, I left Tyler's loft and walked home. I was so frustrated with myself. He was a wonderful man; however, I sabotaged our relationship and hurt him. He didn't deserve this turmoil. All Tyler did was love me. He was passionate, honest, and reliable.

_Why couldn't I just trust in him?_

**End of Flashback**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

I was brought out of my memories when Tyler brushed his thumb across my cheek.

"Bella, are you ok?" he questioned.

"Yes," I answered. "I just miss you. I was thinking about what a jerk I am."

Tyler sighed as he hugged my body closer to his. "You aren't a jerk, Bella. We just want different things."

"I really wish things were different," I whispered.

I enjoyed the feeling of Tyler's arms around me as we continued to dance. He smelled so manly and delicious.

During my reverie, I almost didn't hear him whisper, "Me too."

_God, I missed him._

After a few moments, Tyler asked cautiously, "What is _he_ doing here? Did you know he would be here?"

_He had to ask…_

"He works at the Children's Hospital," I replied. "How do you know him?"

I tilted my head back and noticed Tyler's facial expressions. His jaw was clenched and his eyes were filled with anger.

"I don't know him," he growled. "I was standing at the bar and decided to talk to a total stranger. He seemed like a nice guy. I thought I may have found a new friend. It wasn't until the end of our conversation that I thought to ask his name. If I had known who he was upfront, I would never have talked to the asshole. When he told me his name, I almost lost it. I had to walk away before I hit him."

The amount of anger Tyler was projecting was surprising. I massaged the base of his neck in an effort to calm him down.

He took a deep breath and continued, "I just wanted to see how you were handling his presence. Last time we talked, you mentioned that you were going to therapy. I just wanted to make sure that Edward's appearance in Denver wasn't going to set you back."

Last month, I ended up on the same Habitat for Humanity construction site with Tyler. The day started off awkward because it was the first time since the break-up that I saw him. I had finally admitted to Tyler that he influenced me to attend therapy. I explained to him how my issues had held the two of us back and that I was seeking help. I made sure to emphasize that I would always be thankful for our relationship because it caused me to examine how my trust issues affected my life and the lives of those around me.

My therapy sessions were going well, but I understood Tyler's concerns.

"I'm sure I'll be okay. This will just give me new material to talk about," I joked.

My awkward laugh was met with silence. Tyler was not finding the situation humorous at all.

"Look, I know that there is cause for concern. When I first found out that Edward was here in Denver, I freaked out. Now I'm choosing to be optimistic. Edward's presence will force me to address all the issues surrounding my failed marriage that I've been trying to ignore. It's scary as hell, but maybe, this will be a good thing," I said hopefully.

_If only I could believe that in my heart…_

Tyler sighed, "I hope you're right, Bella. I just want to murder him for what he did to you. I keep thinking that if he hadn't betrayed your trust, we would have worked out."

_That doesn't make any sense._

I was just about to voice my thoughts when Tyler continued, "Ridiculous, huh? I know that if he never cheated on you, then you'd still be married. We were just never meant to be."

With a small smile, I said, "We may not have worked out, but I will always be grateful for the time we had. Without you, I don't think I would have ever sought out help for my trust issues. You've made me a better person."

As the music died down, so did our conversation. Tyler lightly kissed my cheek. When I stepped out of his arms, I already began to miss him. I opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say.

He noticed my dilemma and said, "We're both going to be okay, Princess."

All I could do was nod. As I turned to walk away, Tyler smacked my ass and joked, "Now go make Alec think he's a prude because he's never tried anal beads. I'll buy you Jamba Juice for a month if you can convince him that he should be practicing with them while he's at home."

_What the…?_

"Alone," he quickly added. "I am not encouraging you to sexually experiment with him."

I threw my head back and laughed, "You're on, Crowley."

I wiped a stray tear from my face as I walked away from him. The moment was ridiculous, bittersweet, and so incredibly us.

-o-o-o-

After my dance with Tyler, I rejoined my group of friends. Emmett wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders and asked, "Am I going to have to beat someone's ass?"

I slapped the middle of his chest and replied, "No. There's no need to get violent."

"I disagree," he argued. "You're family. There is every reason for me to beat any man who makes you uncomfortable."

Once again I was reminded of why Emmett and Rosalie were perfect for each other. They were loyal to a fault and would always have my back. I loved them both dearly.

Instead of embarrassing Emmett with a mushy speech, I gave him a hug and said, "I love you, Em, but we both know that I'm the one at fault in the situation with Tyler."

Emmett just shrugged his shoulders and let the subject drop. We were quickly immersed in the group conversation.

After a few minutes, I felt the weight of someone's stare on me. I looked to my left and noticed it was Edward. He appeared apprehensive as he mouthed, "Are you okay?"

I smiled and nodded at him. His facial features relaxed and he smiled back at me.

The moment between us was interrupted when Rosalie tugged on my arm. "What the hell was that, Bella?" she demanded.

"Nothing," I shrugged. "He just wanted to make sure I was okay."

"Don't give me that shit, B," Rose seethed. "That asshole had better stay the hell away from you. Not to mention, you should be staying far, far away from him."

"Rose, calm down. I was just trying to be a mature adult. We're at a charity gala. There's no need to draw attention to ourselves by not acting polite," I scolded.

"Sure, Emily Post. Politeness is overrated. That fucker better hope that he doesn't run into me. I'll make sure he regrets even looking at Tanya," Emmett growled.

When I looked over at Emmett, I was surprised to see both Alec and Felix nodding their heads in agreement. If I didn't handle this situation now, I was certain I would be bailing their asses out of jail at some point for assault.

"Emmett, promise me that you will not fight Edward," I demanded.

"But, Bella…" he pleaded.

"Emmett!" I threatened.

After Rosalie gave him a stern look, he grumbled, "Fine."

"That goes for the two of you as well," I pointed at Alec and Felix.

The two promised they would not fight Edward and I started to relax. While I should have felt better about their promises, I knew I was forgetting something. I probably should make them agree to leave Edward alone altogether, but it's not like they would seek him out.

_Would they?_

The conversation continued to flow around me, but I was having trouble focusing on what was being said. Alec noticed my distracted state and announced, "I think I'm going to take my sexy date home."

I smiled my thanks at him and agreed.

As I hugged Rose, she warned, "Don't think I'm letting this drop, Bella. I'll be calling you tomorrow."

_Damn._

"I'm looking forward to it, Rose," I stated calmly.

Alec wrapped his arm around me and we walked away from the group. As we were leaving the ballroom, I caught sight of Edward's bronze hair. It was unnerving being in the same place he was again. I didn't know how I felt about his presence in Denver. All I knew was that things would never be the same…

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**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism**** and support. This week's bribe is an EPOV of this chapter. Please be sure to read the prior EPOVs before reading this week's bribe. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**Big kisses to Rose Arcadia for creating the AWS, Team Alec, and Team Edward blinkies. If you aren't following her blog, you should be. rosearcadia(dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Thank you to the lovely Diamond Black for featuring 'A Woman Scorned' on her blog. She does have some insider information on AWS posted ;) (dot)blogspot(dot)com**

**Thank you to everyone else who is pimping out AWS.**

**If you would like to follow me on twitter, my name is Bella_Baby24.**


	11. Paranoid

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.**

**Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for being you. Your honesty is helping me become a better writer.**

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_Previously:_

_Alec wrapped his arm around me and we walked away from the group. As we were leaving the ballroom, I caught sight of Edward's bronze hair. It was unnerving being in the same place he was again. I didn't know how I felt about his presence in Denver. All I knew was that things would never be the same…_

**2008**

I was berating myself as I completed my daily run around Washington Park the morning after the charity gala. Normally, my five-mile run was relaxing; however, I was so frustrated with myself today that I had to add an additional two miles to reach the same level of relaxation.

_How could I allow Edward to affect me like that?_

While Alice assured me that I appeared indifferent as I spoke to him, I knew the truth.

_I was anything BUT indifferent._

Talking to Edward was forcing me to realize that I was not over how our relationship ended. My goal was to be able to converse with him as I would with any old acquaintance. I should have been friendly but distant. I should have been able to stop thinking about him as soon as I left the charity gala.

_That was how it was supposed to go._

Instead, I found myself wondering how he was. I wanted to know what had been going on in Edward's life since our divorce.

_Dammit, Bella. Don't do this to yourself!_

Edward did not deserve my concern. I could not let his presence in Denver derail my life. We did not need to be friends, or even acquaintances. Sure I missed him, but I didn't want him in my life.

_Right?_

I was finally doing well and discovering who I was. It was a good thing that I was meeting with my therapist soon.

_We have plenty of things to talk about this week…_

-o-o-o-

After my run, I was still troubled. I paced across my living room and tried to talk myself out of what I felt compelled to do.

_Stay strong, Bella. No good can come from this._

After only a few minutes, I cracked. I turned on my laptop and clicked open the internet connection. The blinking curser on the Google homepage was mocking me.

_Was I really going to do this?_

_Was I really going to cyber-stalk my ex-husband?_

I walked away from my laptop and into the kitchen. Even though it was only three p.m. I knew that the situation called for alcohol. I poured myself a glass of wine and headed back into the living room.

I watched in horror as my fingers typed out "Edward Anthony Masen, Chicago." I hit enter and watched as numerous links were displayed. Most of the articles focused on the social events Edward had attended within the last few years. However, there were a few posts that covered Edward's private life.

When I clicked on a couple of links, I was informed about the wonderful charitable donations of the Gold-Masen family. There was hardly any mention of Edward except his name.

_Momma Liz certainly has his PR person's balls in a vice._

After opening a few more articles, I was ready to give up. Most of the stories were boring and barely mentioned Edward at all.

_This was a dumb idea._

I was just about to close the browser window when I saw the title, "Edward Masen: Lesbro."

_Oh God, that's hilarious…_

With a snort, I clicked on the link. I was directed to Jacob Black's blog, 'Black-Tie Affair!?!' The post showed a picture of Edward with Felicity King and another woman. Jacob had drawn speech bubbles over the women's heads that said "I kiss chicks" and "I don't do dick." Over Edward's head there was a huge question mark. The picture caption read:

"Edward Masen is the modern definition of a Lesbro. His ex-wife, Isabella, was the last straight woman he was photographed with. Their marriage ended when Masen allegedly had an affair with Tanya 'Horse-face' Denali. Maybe Isabella really left him because he lacked oral skills? It must be nice for Edward to compare notes on cunnilinigus with someone who actually has a vagina."

I almost spit out my wine when I read that last line. Momma Liz must have shit a brick over this. A quick search showed over twenty posts that discussed Edward's love life. I settled in and started reading.

I began with the articles that were dated right after the divorce. Most of them showed pictures of Edward with Felicity King. In the beginning, the articles called Felicity the next Mrs. Masen. There were hearts drawn on the pictures and Jake speculated on how long it would take for Edward to cheat on her.

As the dates progressed, the nature of the articles changed. There were pictures of Felicity with other women and Edward's pictures had long beards drawn on them. When Felicity came out, that's when the torture really began.

My favorite caption was one where Jacob guessed that Edward and Felicity were using each other to cease speculation about their sexuality. Jacob then invited Edward to come play with him.

_God, I missed this blog._

I quickly added 'Black-Tie Affair!?!' to my favorites list and closed down my laptop. Apparently, Edward had not really dated in the last few years.

_At least not publically…_

-o-o-o-

Today would be my eighth therapy session with Dr. Chelsea Strait. I had been coming to see her weekly so I could finally move past all of my crazy man issues. During the first couple of appointments, Chelsea asked me questions about my life and what goals I hoped to accomplish. She explained that I would be doing most of the talking throughout our time together and that she would help me identify and resolve issues.

As the weeks progressed, Chelsea became more involved with my sessions. She began asking more questions and digging into issues I wasn't entirely comfortable with. Mostly she wanted to know about my childhood.

Last week, we were supposed to talk about my mother's death and Charlie's subsequent withdrawal from my everyday life. However, plans changed when I informed her that Edward would be attending the Denver Children's Hospital Charity Gala.

We spent the entire session talking about the last time I saw Edward and what I wanted to happen at the gala. I told Chelsea about my goals and that I hoped I would be able to walk away from our conversation without feeling the need to obsess over the details.

_I failed miserably._

I was nervous to talk to Chelsea about my conversation with Edward. Laying on the chaise lounge in her office, I felt like I was Anne of Green Gables. I wondered if Chelsea would find it funny if I placed my wrist on my forehead and claimed to be in 'the depths of despair.'

_I doubt she would be entertained._

In fact, I'm pretty sure she would tell me to stop avoiding the situation and start talking.

After a few minutes of silence, Chelsea came straight to the point, "How did it go?"

I proceeded to tell Chelsea about using Alec as a fake date and how I danced with Tyler. After some prodding, I told her about Edward asking me if I was okay. Chelsea raised an eyebrow.

"How did that make you feel?"

I crossed my arms and sighed, "Honestly, it felt good. Even though I'm still furious with him, it was nice that he still knew me well enough to understand that I was upset. It felt like he cared."

_Why did I care?_

"You seem upset about your feelings," Chelsea stated.

"Of course I'm upset," I exclaimed. "I shouldn't care about Edward. He fucking cheated on me with my best friend. He lied to be and betrayed my trust! There shouldn't be any part of me that wants to know about his life! I shouldn't be talking to him, let alone, cyber-stalking him! God, he makes me so angry!"

_Understatement of the century._

Chelsea raised her eyebrow at me and said, "What do you mean by cyber-stalking?"

I told Chelsea all about my adventures on Google. She occasionally took notes as I told my story. As I continued, I became even more irate. The whole situation sounded stupid and immature. Not to mention, fucking crazy.

_Oh God, I'm officially the crazy ex-wife…_

_The book was one thing, but this was a new level of crazy. Should I order my night-vision goggles now?_

Chelsea interrupted my inner ramblings. "Why are you so mad at yourself?"

"I'm just furious about how Edward makes me feel. I hate that he's in Denver. I hate that I care about his life. I hate that I still feel a connection to him. I hate that a part of me regrets our relationship. I just hate…"

"What do you hate, Bella?" Chelsea prodded.

"That I don't hate him at all."

-o-o-o-

After my talk with Chelsea, I was concerned that I didn't know how I truly felt about Edward.

_Why did the session have to end on that note?_

I was upset that our session ended after I said I didn't hate Edward. For once, I found myself wishing that I had more than an hour-long session. There were so many emotions that I needed to sort through. I was terrified that I would run into Edward and make an idiot out of myself. Until I could figure everything out, there was no way that I would be able to hold an intelligent conversation with him.

As a result, if I saw anyone who looked even remotely like him, I ran and hid.

On Tuesday I was supposed to meet Angela during one of her breaks to go get cookies from 'The Cookie Lady.' We were heading towards Republic Plaza when I thought I saw Edward walking down the street. I quickly ducked inside the first door I came to. As the man passed the shop, I realized it wasn't Edward. I turned around and noticed that I was standing in the middle of a waxing room in a salon. The customer was glaring at me from one of the tables. I profusely apologized for interrupting an appointment before I left the shop.

_Seriously, what kind of salon doesn't lock the back door?_

I hurried down the street to catch Angela while I berated myself for overreacting. Unfortunately for me, my embarrassing incidents were just beginning.

On Wednesday morning I was heading out to meet Esme for our weekly coffee talk. It was raining, so I walked to the bottom of the 16th Street Mall and waited for the free shuttle. Towards the back of the bus, I saw a man with unruly bronze hair. I panicked and got off at the next stop.

The Starbucks where Esme and I usually met was four blocks away, but I chose to walk the rest of the way in the rain. As I hurried down the street, men whistled at me. I arrived at Starbucks fifteen minutes late and soaking wet. When I saw Esme, she quickly threw me her coat. Apparently, you could see my nipples through my wet shirt and bra.

_No wonder so many men were whistling at me._

_Could this week get any worse? _

I got my answer on Thursday when I reached a new low. Alec asked me to meet him for lunch at Earl's. I was the first to arrive, so I secured a booth for the two of us. As I was mulling over the specials menu, a flash of bronze caught my attention. I discreetly glanced over my menu and tried to determine if that hair belonged to Edward. Before I could make a decision, the bronze-haired man turned in my direction. I panicked and dove into the booth. I held my breath and prayed that he didn't see me.

_This is ridiculous, Bella. You're laying ass-up in a very public booth!!!_

Just as I decided to sit up and act like an adult, I heard an amused voice ask, "Are you hiding from me, Bella?"

I looked up into the bright blue eyes of Rosalie.

"Hi, Rose. What are you doing here?"

"I was visiting Emmett at his office when Alec told us that he was meeting you for lunch and we decided to join him," she explained, "but I think the real question is, who were you trying to hide from?"

I looked around the restaurant and Edward was nowhere to be found. Now I just wanted to hide from the amused expressions on Rose, Emmett, and Alec's faces.

"I was hiding from Edward," I mumbled.

"What was that?" Emmett questioned.

I spoke up. "I was hiding from Edward."

Alec looked around and inquired, "Is he here?"

"No. I just thought I saw him," I muttered.

"So, you were hiding from an imaginary Edward?" Alec joked.

"It's not funny!" I exclaimed, "I'm going crazy here. I feel like I'm seeing him everywhere. Do you have any idea how hard it is to hide from a figment of your own imagination?"

"He isn't Satan, Bella. I don't see why you can't just acknowledge the man in a mature way. Besides, most guys don't look like Edward. How are you seeing him everywhere?" Rose laughed.

"It's not my fault. It's the damn Colorado sun," I said under my breath.

My explanation only caused the three of them to laugh harder.

"How is the sun responsible for your delusions?" Emmett asked.

"The sun is always shining here, so everyone's natural highlights are accentuated."

"Yeah, that's a bunch of crap," Alec said matter-of-factly.

"What?" I asked in mock innocence.

He just looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"Fine. You win. I'm freaking crazy," I sighed.

"And delusional," Alec prompted.

I swatted Alec's arm. "And delusional," I agreed

The four of us began eating and discussing our lives. Emmett was excited because he was buying a new house right near Washington Park. I kept waiting for him to announce that Rosalie would be moving in with him, but it appeared that they hadn't discussed it. My cousin was growing up. I could tell that he was getting his life in order so he could propose to Rose.

_I'm so freaking proud of him._

Rose was working on a new article for the Denver Post. The guy who wrote the sports section quit, so Rose was now in charge of all things sports in Denver. The guys were thrilled with the idea of free Bronco, Nuggets, Rockies, and Avalanche tickets. If I was being honest, so was I.

Alec was working on a new campaign at work. He needed to come up with a pitch for the Denver Athletic Club. After inviting the three of us to scope out the facility with him, the conversation turned to me.

"So Bella, it's your turn for show-and-tell," Rose said.

"Since you've already shown us your ass and your purple panties, let's stick with the tell portion," Emmett quipped.

"Ha, Ha. You two are so funny," I mocked. Then I thought about what he said. "Wait. Could you really see my panties?"

My face flushed when the three of them nodded in response. "God, this is so embarrassing," I whined.

"Don't be such a drama queen, B. It wasn't that bad," Rose said. "It could have been much worse."

I knew I was going to regret it, but I asked, "Really? What could I have done that would be more embarrassing than flashing my ass?"

Alec grabbed my hand and held it down on the seat of the booth between our bodies. Then he moaned loudly.

_What the fuck?_

Rose, Emmett, and I stared at him as he began to pant.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rose hissed.

"Oh shit," Alec grunted. He slapped his hand on the hand on the tabletop and groaned, "Fuck, Bella!"

My face turned bright red. Other patrons started to notice Alec's performance. Rose appeared to be just as embarrassed as I was. Emmett, on the other hand, was shaking in silent laughter.

When Alec realized people were watching him, he started gyrating his hips and moaning louder.

"Yes, Bella! You give the best hand jobs, baby!" he grunted.

"Stop!" I demanded.

I was desperately trying to pull my hand away, but Alec was stronger than I was and my struggling just made it appear like I was really getting him off.

_Shit. I am going to kill him._

Emmett decided that it was time to join the show. Between laughs, he boomed out, "God, Bella. Can't you keep your hands off the man until you get home? I really don't want to watch this shit during lunch!"

Rose smacked Emmett and hissed, "Knock it off, assholes."

The waiter was storming towards our table when Alec yelled out, "Fuck! Bella!"

He finally released my hand. With a huge smile on his face, Alec asked, "Would you hand me a napkin, baby? This is kinda messy."

I dug through my purse and threw a few bills on the table.

"You're an asshole," I spat at him. Rose and I got up and left the restaurant.

"Can you believe those idiots?" she exclaimed, as we walked down the 16th Street Mall.

"Yes. Actually, I can. It's kinda funny, but I would never tell them that," I laughed.

"Seriously, don't encourage them," Rose said, and then sighed. "We definitely can't go back to Earl's for awhile."

"If ever," I added.

When we reached the corner, Rose needed to head in the opposite direction. She pulled me into a hug and said, "You shouldn't be hiding from Edward, Bella. You have a wonderful life now and his being in Denver shouldn't change that."

I squeezed her and whispered, "I love you, Rose. Thanks for being the best friend a girl could ask for."

"Love you too, B. I have a work function this evening, but we'll talk some more tomorrow night," she replied with a wink.

-o-o-o-

I ran down the block as quickly as my heels would allow. Rose, Emmett, and Alec were waiting for me at the Rio Grande. I had been dying for a margarita all week. The Rio had a three margarita limit because of their alcohol content and usually, I would only drink two and give my third to Alec or Emmett, but tonight I planned on getting trashed.

I hurried into the restaurant and headed upstairs. I rounded the corner and saw the long table where Rose, Emmett, and Alec were seated. When they noticed me, the three of them dove onto the chairs next to them.

"Assholes!" I yelled, but then couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on, B," Emmett chuckled, "You can't expect us to forget about your booth diving."

"There will be no more booth-diving in my future. It's time I put on my big-girl panties and stop hiding from my past," I stated.

"Ahhh, my little girl is growing up," Rose mocked.

When the waiter arrived, we ordered some guacamole and chips along with our margaritas. Soon the drinks were flowing and we were all enjoying ourselves. After an hour, I noticed that Alice and Felix still hadn't joined us.

"Hey. Has anyone heard from Alice or Felix?" I asked. "Weren't they supposed to meet us tonight?"

Emmett said, "I heard from Felix about half an hour ago. He sent me a text that said, 'Your sister is fucking crazy. We'll be there soon'."

"So what's going on with them?" I asked.

Alec snorted, "Probably another fight."

"Why do they even stay together?" I asked. "You would think all that drama would be exhausting."

"Amazing make-up sex?" Alec guessed.

Emmett smacked his hands over his ears and chanted, "My sister is a virgin. My sister is a virgin. My sister is a virgin."

Rose snorted, "Right, babe. I bet Alice lost her V-Card before you."

Emmett gave Rose a shocked look. "Can't you at least pretend for me that Alice is a virgin? "

"Felix likes it rough," Alec said.

"Shut the fuck up, man!" Emmett yelled.

The three of us were laughing at Emmett when Alice came storming up to the table. She grabbed our scared waiter and demanded, "We need six shots of tequila and I need a strawberry margarita. Anyone else need something?"

Refills were ordered and Alice sat down in a chair. I could tell she was fuming. "So, where's Felix?" I asked.

"The fucker is on his way," she answered.

Alice's angry tone caused the four of us to stare at her. Usually, when she fought with Felix, Alice would be a blubbering mess. This was definitely new.

Felix joined our table as the waiter came back with our round of shots.

"What are we drinking to, Alice?" Rose asked.

We all lifted up our shot glasses and Alice said, "Here's to pregnancy tests and being single." Alice and Felix quickly downed their shots as the rest of us stared at them.

_What?_

"What the fuck do you mean?" Emmett demanded.

"Well, Felix knocked me up and then broke up with me," Alice answered as she lifted up her margarita glass and took a sip.

_Son of a bitch._

I was contemplating how many fingers I'd lose if I tried to take Alice's drink away, when Emmett glared at Felix and asked in a deadly calm voice, "You knocked-up my sister and broke up with her?"

"Fuck, Alice. Way to be dramatic," Felix sighed. "No. I didn't knock her up. The test came back negative. I don't want to get married or have kids, but Alice does. That's why we broke up."

I was relieved. It was about time the two of them realized they didn't have common goals.

Alice glared at Felix and said, "What you forgot to mention is that you broke up with me as we were waiting for the test results, Asshole."

"Shit, Alice. All I said was that I didn't want the white picket fence. The breakup came later," Felix snapped.

The four of us watched their fight progress. I'm sure to an outsider it looked like we were watching a tennis match with the way our heads kept moving back and forth. It was painful to watch Alice's face flinch when Felix mentioned that he didn't want to settle down.

The worst moment came when Alice said, "Yeah, well at least I'm not stuck carrying your bastard child."

The silence at the table was deafening. Felix silently appraised Alice before he answered, "Yes. Thank God for that." He pushed away from the table and threw down some money. "Well, it's been an interesting night, but I'm gonna take off."

"Want me to come with you?" Alec asked.

Felix shook his head. "No. I'm good."

The five of us watched him leave. When silence threatened to overtake the table again, Alec decided to be a smartass. He looked over at Emmett and said, "Still believe Alice is a virgin?"

Emmett scowled at Alec, then turned to Alice and asked in a hopeful tone, "Immaculate conception, right Al?"

Everyone laughed and the awkwardness dissipated. We joked around and enjoyed each other's company. As I looked around the table, I realized there was no place in the world I'd rather be. Towards the end of the night, Alice got serious.

She looked over at me and said, "I know this is shitty timing, but I need to move back in."

_Shit_.

During all the drama, I forgot that I was living in Alice's condo.

"We'll work it all out," I told her.

_Time to find your own place, Bella…_

-o-o-o-

The next morning I dragged my butt out of bed and drove to Washington Park. I parked near the boathouse and began my stretching exercises. According to my schedule, I needed to run eight miles today, meaning three laps around the park. I was not in the mood to run today and I knew that I was going to struggle with the distance.

As I began my run, I had to focus on moving. The tasty margaritas from the night before no longer seemed like such a great idea. After my first lap, I got in a groove. I stopped focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and just enjoyed the park. The flower gardens were in bloom and the sun was shining.

I had been so paranoid about seeing Edward this past week that I hadn't taken the time to enjoy my life. For the past few years, I thought I had worked through my feelings about the end of my life with Edward. When I saw him at the charity gala, I realized how much farther I had to go to truly be happy.

I needed to address my feelings towards Edward and accept that I would always care for him. He may not be my husband anymore, but he would always be a large part of my past. In all reality, my relationship with Edward played a significant role in shaping who I am today. There was no reason to regret our time together. If it wasn't for Edward, I wouldn't be a best-selling author. Not to mention, I would have never made the effort to get to know the Cullens.

Around mile five, I decided that I was ready to see Edward again. I would not actively seek him out, but I would not avoid him either.

_Who knows? Maybe in time, I wouldn't have to fake being civil to him._

After I made my decision, I felt significantly lighter. It was as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I stopped dwelling on the insecure ramblings of my subconscious and focused on the sound of gravel crunching beneath my feet. I picked up my pace and pushed myself to finish my run on a strong note.

When there were two miles left in my run, I noticed a man with bronze hair about fifty feet ahead of me. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. My mind had been playing tricks on me all week, so there was no need to panic. The odds of him being Edward were slim to none.

As I closed in on the man, I got a better look at him. There was something familiar about his gait.

_It was Edward_.

He looked towards me as I tried to run past him and his green eyes widened in recognition. I began to panic.

_I am so full of shit. _

_I'm all talk. There is no way that I am ready to speak to Edward._

"Good Morning, Bella," Edward said.

I panted out a greeting in return. Then Edward started running at the same pace as I was, so I slowed down and hoped that he would pass me. Instead, he adjusted his pace and matched mine. In an effort to shake him, I sped up to a pace that I could barely sustain. Once again, Edward adjusted his speed to keep up with me.

Just when I was considering what else I could do to shake him, my ending point came into view. After I crossed my own personal finish line, I began walking, and Edward walked with me.

"Since when do you run?" he asked me between pants.

I placed my hands on top of my head and focused on taking deep breaths.

_Play nice, Bella. You just decided to act like a grown-up._

"I picked it up in the last year or so. I just love how you can run outside almost year-round here," I answered.

Edward rested his forearms on his head and panted, "Shit. The altitude is kicking my ass. It makes breathing so much harder."

I laughed. "It does take some getting used to. Just make sure to drink tons of water so you don't get altitude sickness."

"Not to mention, I really had to push myself to keep up with you," he gasped.

"That was fast for me too," I confessed. I glanced down at my watch and was surprised.

"I actually shaved three minutes off my time. That's a first."

"Maybe you just needed the right running partner," Edward quipped.

_Or I just need to visualize running away from you._

"Perhaps," I replied in a distant tone.

We reached my car. As I retrieved my key, Edward noted, "You still have the Lexus."

I just nodded. I started to get in the car when Edward asked, "Would you like to get a coffee with me, Bella? There's a Dazbog down the road and I would really like a chance to talk to you."

"About what?" I replied.

"Us. I've missed you. I'd like to talk to you about what happened and see if you could ever forgive me. I really just want to be a part of your life again," he said.

The sincere look in Edward's eyes took my breath away. He was really trying to build a relationship with me again, but while I had made the decision to be cordial, it didn't mean I should go on coffee dates with him.

"I'm not ready to talk about our past. To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure I ever will be," I sighed.

"Please think about it, Bella," he pleaded.

"I will," I promised.

Edward ran his hand through his hair and smiled at me. "I guess I should let you go. Maybe we could run together again sometime?"

"Maybe," I replied, "Have a good day, Edward."

"You too."

Edward waved at me as I pulled away from the park. I waved back and thought about our conversation.

It was our first of many runs together…

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism****. This week's bribe is an excerpt from Bella's book. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**Thank you to the following people for recommending this story:**

**-Madison Ashlee**

**-NYNJTwiGals**

**-Five Seas**

**-Bella Madonna in her community Twilight Fans Over Thirty-Five**


	12. Target Practice

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**A/N: Thank you for being so patient in waiting for this chapter.**

**Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for your unending patience. I know my repetitive use of words slowly drives you crazy ;)**

**

* * *

**

_Previously:_

_Edward ran his hand through his hair and smiled at me. "I guess I should let you go. Maybe we could run together again sometime?"_

"_Maybe," I replied, "Have a good day, Edward."_

"_You too."_

_Edward waved at me as I pulled away from the park. I waved back and thought about our conversation._

_It was our first of many runs together…_

**2008**

I hooked my headphones over my ears and turned on my iPod. The blaring music help set the pace for my morning run. After my first lap around Washington Park, I started to get antsy.

_Would he be here today?_

After our first run, Edward began to show up at the same time whenever he wasn't working. The first few times, I ignored him. However, this morning, I was too annoyed to stay silent.

"What are you doing?"

"Running," was his smartass reply.

"I can see that you're running. Why are you here? Are you following me?" I demanded.

Edward panted, "We both run every day. I need a running partner and I've decided you're it."

"What if I don't want to be your running partner?" I seethed.

He shrugged and said, "You don't have a choice."

"Of course I do," I huffed, "I'll just start running at a different time and place."

"No, you won't."

His casual tone was pissing me off. Edward always knew how to get a reaction out of me and I refused to play along.

"Whatever," I huffed, "I don't want to talk to you."

"Good," he stated, "You run faster when you're not talking."

_How dare he be such an asshole?_

_How dare I play into his antics?_

I refused to fall into our old banter routines. I was not going to give Edward the satisfaction of talking to me. It was time to change up my running schedule.

-o-o-o-

I became more familiar with the different parks near downtown Denver. I realized that running in the morning was an integral part of my day, so I thought that I could keep the same time schedule and just change location.

I chose to run at City Park. Initially, I was a little concerned about how close the park was to Colfax Avenue. Colfax was known for high levels of crime, including prostitution and drugs. Then there were the homeless people. Depression isn't a good emotion to have while exercising.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't such a good idea. I spent more energy surveying the park than I did running.

Then I decided to try the safer Cheeseman Park. It was quiet and had a 1.2 mile gravel trail around it. Each morning I missed Wash Park, but I knew it was worth not having to run with Edward.

_Until fucking Emmett ruined it for me._

A week after I started jogging at Cheeseman, I invited Emmett to join me on a run. He had been complaining about his lifting routine and I suggested that he try to add some cardio to his workouts. When I told Emmett where I was running, he laughed.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked.

"It's the haunted, gay park," he snorted.

_Huh?_

Emmett explained, "The park is built over an old cemetery. The city just removed the gravestones on some of the graves. People claim that the park is haunted by the two thousand souls still buried there."

"I'm not dumb, Emmett. If you're trying to scare me, it's not going to work."

"I'm serious, B. Look it up. Besides, I'd be more worried about the gays than the ghosts, if I were you," he warned.

"What are you talking about?"

"That park is a known gay area. Men cruise through it to find casual encounters. Haven't you noticed all the cars driving slowly? Or the fact that most of the patrons are men?"

_Hmm. Maybe I should pay more attention to these things._

"Well, if that's the case, then I should be fine. No one will be interested in propositioning me, because I have a vagina. Don't be such a homophobe, Em," I scolded.

"Just be careful, Bella. I think you should run at Wash Park if you're going to be running alone. Edward is definitely the lesser of the two evils."

-o-o-o-

Emmett jinxed me.

During my next few runs, all I could think about was the fact that I could be standing over a grave. I had researched Cheeseman Park and found out that for once, Emmett was telling the truth.

_Creepy, Creepy, Creepy…._

When I wasn't thinking about the mass number of graves that were left unmarked, I was noticing the gay men. Sure enough, cars would cruise through Cheeseman and occasionally they would park. I used to think the occupants were just enjoying the nice weather or scenery, but now I knew better.

_At least there's some fine man candy on display._

Weeks passed and I continued to run at Cheeseman. It wasn't like there were ghosts out to get me. Not to mention, no one was mistaking me for a drag queen. In all honesty, if Emmett never told me about the gay men hooking up in the park, I would have never known. During the day, I never saw anything to make me think that it wasn't a family-friendly park.

It all changed on my first evening run.

My day had been hectic and I couldn't find time to run in the morning. When I reached Cheeseman, it was six o'clock in the evening. My first three laps around the trail were uneventful. The sky was starting to darken and I decided that the next lap would be my last.

After a quick scan of the area, I determined that there was no danger in pushing my endurance threshold.

Nothing would happen. The park was safe.

I rounded the corner and ran through the wooded section of the trail. Halfway up the hill, I heard heavy breathing and grunting. The sound of rustling and crunching gravel alerted me to someone's presence. I looked around and couldn't see anyone, but I knew that a person was near me. My self-preservation skills kicked in and I started to panic.

_If I can just get out of the woods, I can run back to my car._

_It's going to be okay._

I sprinted through trees and bushes to reach the center of the park. I just needed to get into a populated area.

_God, I should have listened to Emmett when he told me not to run alone. _

_What was I thinking? This park isn't safe. _

In my panic, I never noticed that the grunts were those of pleasure and not of someone pursuing me.

Right before I reached the open area, in the bushes to my left was a man on his knees giving another man a blowjob. Both were grunting and moaning. The man receiving the blowjob gave me a smile and a wink.

I tried to smile back at them as I ran toward my car. There was something shocking about watching such a casual encounter. Or maybe I was just shocked to find that I wasn't in any danger.

Either way, I knew I would never be able to run at Cheeseman again.

_Fuck Edward. I'm going back to Wash Park…._

-o-o-o-

After the breakup with Felix, Alice moved back into her condo with me, and Rose moved in with Emmett. I was quickly reminded why Alice and I should never be roommates. She left her work lying around and always misplaced her keys, so she'd drive me crazy helping her look for them. It was amazing that such a successful businesswoman could be so disorganized and messy.

Today was supposed to be the first day back at Wash Park in over a month. However, I couldn't find my damn keys.

After checking my purse, I just stared at the empty hook where my keys _should_ be hanging.

_Son of a…_

"Alice! Where are my keys?"

I dug through the mail on the entry table and still couldn't find them. However, I did find the packet from my editor that I had misplaced earlier. Of course, it was under a large stack of Alice's stuff.

There was no need for one small woman to have so much crap. Especially, since she hardly ever used it all.

_Where were my damn keys?!? _

"Alice!" I yelled again.

"Sorry, Bella. I used your keys when I went downstairs to get the mail. Don't worry. They're around here somewhere."

After five minutes of searching, Alice yelled, "Found them!"

"Finally! If you use my stuff, please put it back where it belongs."

"I don't know why you're so upset," Alice said, "You're just going on a run. It's not like you're going to be late or anything."

"That's not the point and you know it," I snapped.

Alice held up her hands in defense and impersonated a cat, "Me-yow."

I yanked my keys from her hand and stormed out of the condo.

When Alice had moved back in, she begged me not to move out. I was ready to have my own place, but Alice didn't to be alone. I naively thought that it would be fun for us to live together. Maybe it would be a chance for us to grow closer.

_I was so fucking wrong._

It was a good thing I was going on a run, because I needed to burn off some extra energy before I turned into a raging bitch.

I loved Alice, but there was no way I could continue to live with her.

-o-o-o-

By the time I reached Washington Park, I was in a foul mood. Between losing my keys and hitting traffic, I was anxious and annoyed.

The moment my feet hit the gravel trail, I started to relax. I had missed the calming atmosphere of the park. There were no shady characters or ghosts to worry about. After five miles, I was finally letting go of my annoyance toward Alice. I knew that it was difficult for her to live with me as well.

_Stay calm, Bella. You'll find a loft and everything will work itself out._

When I rounded the corner, all of my positive feelings disappeared.

_Fucking bronze hair._

"I knew you'd be back," he smiled.

"Sure you did," I replied.

"I did," he insisted, "You've always liked routines. It was only a matter of time before you came back."

I wanted to smack the smug smile off his face. "Were you always this annoying?"

Edward's smile transformed into the confident smirk I used to love. Now it just reminded me of what a cocky asshole he was.

"I can't help it that I know you so well."

I glared at him, "Let's get one thing straight. I am not the same girl you were married to. Stop assuming that you know everything about me. I'm here because I refuse to let you change my life and routine. Whether or not you run near me is your choice, but I refuse to act as if we're friends."

He looked stunned, but finally shut up.

The rest of the run passed in silence.

When we reached the lot where I was parked, Edward asked, "Do you want to go somewhere and talk?"

I sighed, "Edward, I meant it when I said I wasn't interested in talking. I need to go. Have a good day."

-o-o-o-

When Rose moved out of the condo, we made an effort to meet up at least once a week. Emmett started to feel left out, so we invited him to join us for coffee one Saturday morning.

As I walked in the door, I noticed Emmett's bright, smiling face.

"How's my favorite cousin?" he asked.

"Fantastic. How's my second favorite cousin?"

Emmett put his hands over his heart and groaned, "Ouch, Bells. That was just cruel."

I hugged Rose and sat down at their table. Over the next half-hour, the two of them told me about the improvements they were making to Emmett's house. The conversation was flowing until Emmett decided to quote the movie 'Old School'.

"We're going to have a pretty nice little Saturday. We're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know. I don't know if we'll have enough time."

Rose laughed and said, "On that note, I'm going to the bathroom. I would hate to have to pee during the awesome day we have lined up."

When Rose left the table, Emmett grinned at me, "Do you have time to go shopping with me this week?"

"Maybe," I smirked, "What are we going shopping for?"

"Oh, just a sparkly something that Rosie will hopefully wear for the rest of her life."

I lunged across the table and gave Emmett a hug. He just laughed as I squealed, "I knew it!"

The next few moments were spent planning when and where we should meet each other. We were so engrossed in our planning that we didn't see Rosalie approach the table.

"What are you two talking about?" she questioned.

"Nothing," I replied quickly.

Rose quirked an eyebrow at me, because it was obvious that I was lying.

Right before she could question me, Emmett interceded, "Nothing, my ass. Bella was just telling me how Edward is crashing her runs."

_Who knew Emmett was such a cool liar?_

Trust him to bring up the one situation that Rose would jump all over.

"What?" she seethed.

"It's not a big deal. It's not like I'm fucking him."

"If it's no big deal, then we should be able to talk about it. How _is_ Edward?" Rose prompted.

I sighed, "He's persistent. He has honored my request that we not speak while we run. However, at the end of each run he asks me to talk with him. After I decline his invitation, we say goodbye. Sometimes, he'll tell me if he's going to be working a shift and won't be there."

Rose arched an eyebrow and asked, "Are you setting times to run together?"

"No. He just volunteers the information."

Emmett snarled, "This is why you shouldn't have a set schedule, Bells. It makes it easier for people to track you. You're lucky that your stalker is your ex-husband and not some psycho killer."

"Or maybe the psycho killer is a better stalker than Edward," I quipped.

"It's not fucking funny, Bella."

"I know it's not, Em. After my encounter with the killer peen in Cheeseman, I'm taking safety seriously. I mean, what are the odds of being saved by a blowjob again?" I snorted.

Emmett laughed, "Only you would be shocked by a blowjob at the gay park. Seriously though, maybe it's time for me to have a talk with Eddie-boy. He should leave you alone."

"It's really not a big deal. Let it go, Em."

Emmett shrugged in response and the three of us stood up to leave. I gave both of them a hug goodbye and whispered to Emmett that I would see him later that week.

-o-o-o-

Sunday morning I drove to Carlisle and Esme's for brunch. I was a little upset that it was scheduled during my normal running time.

_Yeah, right. You're just are annoyed that you won't see Edward…_

_Stop thinking that way, Bella. He's not important._

When I pulled into the driveway, I noticed that both Rose and Alice's cars were there. Hopefully, Esme was waiting for me to arrive, because the boys would happily eat my share of brunch if they could.

I walked into the foyer and was surprised by how quiet the house was. I followed the sound of Alice's voice and found the girls and Carlisle in the kitchen.

"Good Morning," I chirped, "Where is everyone?"

Carlisle handed me a cup of coffee and answered, "The boys are skipping brunch. So it looks like it'll just be you lovely ladies and me."

_Huh? _

"Yeah right."

"Emmett said that he and the guys wanted to go shooting or something," Esme shrugged.

"Shooting?" I questioned Rose.

Rosalie kept her eyes on her coffee mug and quietly answered, "They're trying out some new paintball equipment."

Alice grumbled, "Paintball, my ass."

I whirled toward Alice, "What are they really doing?"

"Like Rose said, they're practicing with some new paintball guns."

Alice was never a good liar. The tips of her ears were red and she refused to meet my gaze. I knew if I pushed her, she would crack.

"Alice?"

"Fine. They're going to shoot at Edward as he runs this morning," she huffed.

I choked on my coffee, "What?"

Rose sighed, "Ever since you and Emmett came up with the revenge plot for Annabelle to shoot at Masen with a paintball gun, he's wanted to try it. You know that he's pissed at Edward for stalking you. Emmett figured this was the one morning that you were guaranteed not to be running with him."

"Rose," I admonished, "How could you not tell me? You do realize that Emmett could get arrested!"

"I lost a bet," she stated simply. Rose usually justified her actions more thoroughly.

"What kind of bet?"

"You really don't want to know," Rose answered as she nodded toward Esme and Carlisle.

Esme chuckled, "I'm guessing this is the kind of bet a mother doesn't want to know about?"

"I'm pretty sure no one wants to know about it," Alice said.

I sighed and pulled out my cell phone. It was only nine a.m. It was still thirty minutes until my usual Sunday run. I dialed Emmett's number and it went straight to voicemail. When I couldn't reach Alec or Felix either, I decided to drive to Washington Park.

"We need to stop this before those idiots get arrested or someone gets hurt. I'm driving up there. Do you know where they're going to be?" I asked.

"Felix said they would be along Louisiana Avenue."

-o-o-o-

After speeding through Denver, I arrived at the park. I turned down Louisiana Avenue and saw Alec hiding behind a tree in camouflage gear. I quickly parked in the closest parking lot and dashed over to where he was hidden.

Alec jumped as I called out his name. When he turned around, the first thing I noticed was the war paint covering his face. It was amazing that no one had called the cops on him.

_He looks like a creepy perv…_

"Hey, Bella," he stammered, "What are you doing here?"

"Cut the crap. What are you idiots up to?" I demanded.

Before Alec could give me an answer, I heard Felix's voice over a walkie-talkie, "He's turning onto Louisiana now. Over."

"Seriously? Walkie Talkies?" I questioned.

I snatched Alec's paintball gun. "Okay. I appreciate your concern, but this is a dumb plan. Radio the other two stooges and call this whole thing off. The last thing we need is for you three to get arrested."

"This was all Emmett's idea," Alec whined as he reached for his walkie talkie.

_I know. _

Alec had just said Felix's name when we heard screaming coming from down the street.

"Oh shit," Alec mumbled.

The two of us sprinted down the road to find Edward curled in the fetal position on the path. The bright blue splatters of paint indicated that he had been shot in the crotch. Repeatedly.

"Emmett! Felix! Stop!" I yelled.

Felix dropped his gun, however, Emmett kept firing. I could hear the impact of new paintballs as Edward was shot in the ass. His screaming was drawing attention from other park patrons.

When Emmett refused to listen to our pleas, I determined it was time for drastic measures. I aimed Alec's gun and shot him.

Emmett's gun clamored to the ground as he grabbed at his calf. "Son of a Bitch!" he yelled, "What the fuck, Bella!"

"You idiot!" I screamed, "How did this sound like a good idea? Are you trying to get arrested?"

My tirade was cut short by Edward's groans.

_Oh Fuck._

I knelt beside Edward and quietly said, "I'm so sorry about this. Are you okay?"

He let out a pained grunt, "I hope you didn't want to have children, because I think my balls are destroyed."

_He hopes I don't want to have children? Was he hit in the head too?_

I laughed as I helped Edward to his feet. "You'll be fine. Let me get my car and I'll drive you home."

He waved off my offer and responded, "If you could just drive me to my car that would be great."

"Whatever you want," I answered.

Before I left, I turned to the boys and instructed, "I'm going to get my car and you idiots are going to stay here and make sure Edward's okay. You are not to hit, mock, or hurt him in any way. Understood?"

After they agreed, I tossed Alec's gun at them and said, "I appreciate the sentiment boys, but it's unnecessary. If anyone is going to fuck up my ex-husband, it's going to be me."

I got my car and hurried over to Edward. Alec helped him into the passenger seat because he was doubled over and hobbling. I had to bite back a giggle when Edward grunted.

Emmett caught my amusement and raised an eyebrow at me. Just so he knew there were no hard feelings, I winked at them before I drove away.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. I can't believe those idiots thought that it would be a good idea."

He brushed off my apology and said, "It makes sense. I would do the same thing in their position."

As I pulled into the lot by the boathouse, I asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?"

"I'm sure. I'll be fine," he answered, "Thank you for stopping the attack and for the ride."

"I'm just sorry I couldn't prevent it," I answered.

"It's fine, Bella."

As I watched Edward hobble to his Volvo, I snorted. There was only one coherent thought in my head.

_This is so fucking funny…._

-o-o-o-

"Good Afternoon, Bella," Dr. Chelsea said. "We've been talking about your relationship with your mother for a few weeks now. You told me that you've never really talked to anyone about the day she died. Why is that?"

I picked at my cuticles. We had spent my last few sessions talking about my childhood memories of Renee. I told Chelsea about how she was a wonderful and loving mother. While it was difficult to talk about Renee, I enjoyed remembering the time I spent with her. However, I was not looking forward to talking about how my childhood ended with my mother's death.

I drew in a ragged breath and steeled myself, "The only people who needed to know were there. My Dad, the Cullens, and Tanya. They lived it with me."

"Did you ever talk to Edward about your mother's death?"

"No," I sighed, "I just told him that she died when I was in the third grade. I never liked to talk about her death and he never pushed me. We only ever talked about happy memories of her."

"Why is that?"

"Why would I want to relive the day my childhood ended?" I angrily asked.

Chelsea leaned forward. "Will you tell me about it, Bella?"

Tears poured down my face as I remembered that day. I thought about the stone steps outside of my elementary school. I remembered bounding down those steps, excited to see Mom. I had a spelling test that day and she promised we would get an ice cream cone on the way home if I did well.

"It was the second week of third grade. My Mom always met me outside the school and we would walk home together. That day was the only time she was ever late. I sat on the steps and waited for her as all the other kids left with their parents. After a half-hour, my teacher asked me to wait inside with her."

I was transported to a wooden bench in a deserted school hallway. I could see the paint chipping off the far wall as I waited for my Mom to pick me up. I could hear my teacher's annoyed voice as she left messages for my parents, wondering if anyone would be coming to get me.

"Phone calls were made and no one showed up. My teacher was angry that she had to stay late with me because she had plans. She kept muttering under her breath about irresponsible parents who forget their children."

_I was forgotten and alone. _

"After two hours, the school called my secondary emergency contact. Tanya's mother quickly came to get me. I was crying as she took me home with her. Mrs. Denali tried to reach my parents, but no one called her back. I spent the night in Tanya's bed with her. She held me as I sobbed about my parents forgetting me."

Chelsea was writing notes as she asked, "Did you find out about your mother that night? Had your father or anyone talked to you about her death?"

I shook my head. "No. The next morning, Tanya went to school and Mrs. Denali dropped me off at my house. She told me that my Dad was waiting for me."

I remember opening the front door and running into the kitchen. Charlie was slouched over the table and his hands were in his hair. He lifted his head and stared at me with red, blank eyes.

"My Dad told me to sit at the kitchen table. He stared at me for a long time and then told me that my mother was dead. There was no emotion in his voice. He offered no explanation or comfort. He just told me that she was dead."

I took a deep breath and continued, "Charlie's eyes were cold when he glared at me. He was crying. 'She was coming to get you from school. She was waiting at a crosswalk when a drunk driver veered off the road and hit her. She's dead because she was coming to pick you up.'"

"Charlie blamed you for your mother's death?" Chelsea asked.

All I could think about was the way my father stared at me. His eyes were filled with hate and grief. I had sobbed as he told me that Renee would never be coming home. My shoulders shook as he told me that the funeral would be that Saturday. My voice cracked as I called out to him as he stood from the table. My heart broke when he ignored me and walked out of the room.

"He never outright blamed me, but he acted like it was my fault. He couldn't even look at me. I stayed with the Denalis until Esme showed up for my mother's funeral."

Chelsea asked, "When was the next time your father talked to you?"

"I don't know. All I can remember is standing in front of my mother's closed coffin and hearing someone ask him how I was doing. He told them he didn't know. He had forgotten about me."

"How do you feel about that, Bella?"

"How the hell do you think I feel?" I spat through the tears. "My mother died and my father blamed me for it. I lost both my parents that day."

_At the age of eight, I realized that I was truly alone…._

-o-o-o-

The next morning I was in a funk. Talking about my mother's death pushed me into a dark place. Not to mention, Edward hadn't shown up.

After the shooting incident, Edward and I made polite small-talk on our runs. While I didn't really know what was going on in Edward's life, I knew that he was enjoying Denver and the Children's Hospital. He would tell me stories about the kids he treated each day. I also knew that he planned on buying a condo soon.

_I wish Edward were here today…_

_Oh God. What the hell was wrong with me?!?_

My random thoughts were driving me crazy. Sure it would be nice to have someone distract me, but there was no way in hell that talking to Edward could make this day better. In all reality, it was probably a good thing that he didn't show this morning. I had no patience for pretend banter and fuckery.

After a few deep breaths, I began stretching. I reminded myself that it was okay that I was upset about Renee's death. It was okay that I was conflicted about how Charlie handled the whole incident.

Afterward, as I approached my car, I noticed that Edward's Volvo was parked next to it. He was leaning against the side of the car and glaring at me.

_What the hell?_

I waved as I walked toward my car. Edward's silence was making me nervous.

As I opened the door, he seethed, "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what?" I sighed.

_I'm so not in the mood for this…_

"Oh, I don't know," he mocked, "Why don't you tell me, Bella? Or should I call you 'Marie'?"

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism****. This week's bribe is THE EPOV. Yes, he does discover the book ;) All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**A big thank you to the lovely Silver Sniper of Night for interviewing me for the blog, "So You Think You Can Write" www(dot)sytycw(dot)com/?p=2306. If you are not reading her story, "Eye Contact," you should be.**

**Also, thanks to the following people for recommending this story:**

**-Klynne86**

**-Rpgirl27**

**-Pears13 **


	13. Heavy Truths

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for being the best beta a girl could ask for. One of these days, I'm going to carry you off into the sunset… bridal style ;)**

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_Previously:_

_I waved as I walked toward my car. Edward's silence was making me nervous. _

_As I opened the door, he seethed, "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"_

"_Find out what?" I sighed._

_I'm so not in the mood for this…_

"_Oh, I don't know," he mocked, "Why don't you tell me, Bella? Or should I call you 'Marie'?"_

**2008**

"You can call me Marie if you want, but Bella is good too," I responded, keeping my cool.

Edward's face registered surprise and then fury. I didn't know what he was hoping to accomplish with this angry ambush, but I was really not in the mood to play games.

"That's it? That's all you have to say about this?" he asked incredulously.

"What do you want me to say, Edward?"

"I don't know. What about, 'Hey, Edward, I wrote a book that tells the world what a bastard I think you are'?"

I watched him wave his hands in the air as he raved and ranted. He had always been prone to overreaction. Normally, I would have been willing to let him vent out all of his frustrations, but this was a public place and we were drawing attention.

"Edward," I stated calmly, "please stop. People are staring."

"People are staring?" he yelled, his eyes bugging out, "Are you kidding me? This is the first time I have the chance to talk to you in _three _years and you are asking me to stop?"

His voice got progressively louder as he talked. People were looking at me as if I was an abused woman. Sure, Edward had his problems, but he was never violent. It was imperative to stop this fight before it began.

"Enough. I refuse to stand here and listen to this."

"You refuse to listen to me?" Edward laughed bitterly, "What's new?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you never fucking listened to me during our marriage! Dammit, Bella. A marriage can't survive if only one person is willing to work on it."

_He did not just say that._

"Excuse me?" I asked disbelievingly, "How were you working on our marriage when you were balls-deep in Tanya?"

Edward tugged at his hair and let out a frustrated groan, "Shit. That came out wrong. Obviously, I wasn't working on our marriage then. By that point, I had given up hope. You weren't willing to talk to me, let alone put effort into our relationship. I was just waiting for the day you would tell me it was over."

"Wow. Thanks for letting me know that our marriage was over," I replied sarcastically.

"Don't even act like you didn't know we were floundering," he seethed. "I sat there and told you that I was having problems. I told you that I wanted us to go to marriage counseling. You looked me in the eyes and said that you weren't going to sit in a session alone. That you knew I wouldn't show up for the appointments."

"Because it was bound to happen! Your residency always came first. Do you really expect me to believe that you would have been able to find time to go to therapy when you missed most of our dates?" I asked in amazement.

"Yes!" he yelled. "I told you that I was serious about counseling. That I _would_ be there. I tried to have serious conversations with you about the state of our marriage and all you kept saying was that you were sure it would get better."

Edward roughly grabbed his hair and tugged. He let out a frustrated growl before he continued, "And I didn't miss most of our dates. I missed that one date. I know you put a lot of effort into planning it, but I called and told you that I couldn't leave the hospital. I tried to make it up to you, but you were too busy punishing me."

_What the hell?_

"Punishing you?"

"Yes. If I ever screwed up, you shut down. After that day, whenever I tried to talk to you, you always gave me one of two different replies. It was either a sarcastic, 'Sorry, but I don't have time for this right now. You should know all about that'; or a placating, 'I'm sure it'll work out. As soon as your residency and fellowship are over, we'll be okay.' You just swept my concerns under the rug. After a while, I just stopped trying."

His face crumbled as he continued, "I get it Bella. I was a horrible husband. My hours were long and I didn't always put you first, but I tried. I just wish you would have tried with me."

I didn't know what to say. It was true that I pulled away from our relationship, but I would have never cheated on Edward. I was so busy trying to formulate my thoughts, that I almost didn't hear him mumble, "Maybe we could have saved our marriage."

_Fuck no. Our marriage couldn't work with three people in it…_

"No," I seethed. "You don't get to blame me for our divorce."

"Dammit, Bella," he growled, "I'm not blaming you. Don't put words in my mouth. "

"You implied it," I scoffed.

"No, I didn't," he snapped, "I said if _we_ tried. I'm very well aware that my affair is what pushed us past the point of no return. I may have done many things wrong, but I _never_ blamed you for the demise of our marriage."

"Damn straight. I'm not the one who screwed someone else," I stated smugly.

"Yes. I fucked Tanya. I had an affair. I will always regret it."

Edward took a pause and gave me a pointed look. "Bella, our marriage had many flaws and I may have ended it, but I was not the only one who contributed to our downfall. We had many problems that were not all my fault."

"I know that, Edward."

"Do you really? Your book makes it seem like you were an innocent victim who was destroyed by a purely evil husband."

I sighed. "Edward. I understand that you're upset about the book, but it's a work of fiction and a revenge fantasy. The villain has to be a bad guy."

"In theory I understand that, but it's hard to stomach when you're the villain. It doesn't matter that I worshipped you for nine years or that I've been working on being a better person. I will always be the man who cheated on you," he said in a defeated tone.

_And there it was…_

_This is what Edward is truly angry about._

I didn't know what to say. Yes, Edward and I had once had a loving relationship. However, the affair had tainted many of my opinions about him.

Before I could speak, he continued, "I just hate that this is all you remember about me. About us."

_Did he not understand the ending?_

"Edward?" I said, "Did you read the entire story?"

"No. I read just enough to know that I'm an irredeemable person in your eyes."

The slump of Edward's shoulders and the defeat in his voice almost made me feel bad for him.

"Edward, I think you need to finish the book. I won't lie and tell you that it's a fairytale and Masen turns into a wonderful person, but there are some things you need to read."

Edward looked up at me and appraised my face. He must have found what he was looking for because he nodded. "Okay. Will you talk to me about the affair?"

_No. No. No. _

_This is not what I want._

I must have been silent for too long because Edward quickly continued. "I just feel like I need to tell you what happened. I want to be entirely truthful."

As I looked at his hopeful face, I knew I couldn't deny him. We both needed to talk about things in order to move on. It was painfully obvious that we were both stuck in the past.

I groaned, "Today is really not a good day for me. I'm emotionally drained. How about another day?"

"You're not just trying to placate me, are you?" Edward asked skeptically.

"How about next Saturday?"

We agreed to meet the next weekend. The smile on his face was so hopeful. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but think that this was a horrible idea.

-o-o-o-

I was pacing in Chelsea's office as I described my confrontation with Edward. The incident had shaken me to the cored. I'd called Chelsea for an emergency session. I told her about the yelling and the hurtful things he'd said. I finished my rant by telling her that I'd agreed to meet with him.

Part of me hoped that Chelsea would tell me to stay away from Edward. However, I knew that she would tell me this was absolutely necessary.

"How did you feel about Edward confronting you?"

My face flooded in shame, "Honestly, I felt alive. It was nice to yell and scream at him…"

"But?" Chelsea prompted.

"It was difficult to hear about what he considered my shortcomings and failures."

I had finally calmed enough to sit down. Chelsea appraised me. "What failures specifically?"

"Edward pressed me to go to marriage counseling and I refused. He thinks that I was punishing him for not being around, but I don't remember making a conscious effort to hurt him."

"So why did you refuse to go?"

"I honestly didn't think he would show. Whenever he would talk about it, I would picture myself waiting alone in an office and being told that I had to leave because my husband never showed up."

"Did Edward often cancel dates or appointments with you?" Chelsea asked.

"No," I sighed, "Edward was good about keeping his word. Whenever he had to cancel, he always called me."

"Then what do you think prompted this fear of being abandoned? Was there a specific incident that caused you to believe he wouldn't show?"

"He cancelled a date with me on my parents' anniversary."

"What makes that day so important?"

"Charlie," I sighed. "He never came out and blamed me for Renee's death, but he would always call me on their anniversary and make snide comments. He would talk about the death of love. He would imply that I wasn't worth the loss of his wife."

"What did your father say to you that year?"

"He said that he married the love of his life. Apparently he never wanted children, but Renee was adamant that she wanted kids. He said that he should have never given in to her. That if she'd listened to him she wouldn't have been going to pick me up from school that day."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Unwanted and unloved. It reminded me of the day my mom died. I felt alone."

"If you knew he did this every year, why did you answer his calls?

"I was always hopeful that he would be different. I would tell myself that this would be the year we would mourn together. Each year, I would build myself up, only to be crushed by his cruel words."

"Did you ever stand up to your father? Or did you just let him berate you?"

"I never really said anything. I would let him yell at me until he cried. For some reason, it made me feel closer to him. The pain was worth it if I could help him."

Chelsea made a few notes. "What did Edward say about having to miss such an important date?"

"He told me that he had to stay at the hospital. He asked me if we could reschedule for the next night."

"He didn't apologize?"

I shook my head. "No. He just asked to reschedule. When Edward started medical school I told him he didn't need to apologize for having to stay at work. I knew how important his job was to him and I understood that he didn't really have a say about his hours."

Chelsea scrutinized me for a moment. "Bella, did Edward know that it was an emotionally significant day for you?"

I wrung my hands. "No," I admitted.

"How did that work? You were together for a long time. Did he not realize that your parents' anniversary was a difficult day for you?"

"Edward knew it was a difficult day for Charlie. I never told him about the mean-spirited things Charlie said, so he just thought Charlie was mourning Renee. I would always plan a special date so Edward would make an extra effort to be available."

Chelsea's pen scratched across her notepad. "What did Edward think about your relationship with Charlie?"

"He thought Charlie was an absent parent. Edward's parents hardly made time for him unless they wanted something and he assumed that Charlie was the same. He used to tell me to try to get along with my father. He wanted to believe that Charlie had trouble raising a child on his own. We never really spent a lot of time with my father, so I never corrected Edward's misconceptions."

"How would you describe your relationship with your father?"

"What relationship?" I laughed bitterly. "We don't have a relationship. Charlie couldn't care less about me. Unless we're in public or it benefits him, he doesn't speak to me. The man despises me. Sometimes I wonder if he ever loved me at all."

"Would it be safe to say that Edward was unaware of the way you felt about Charlie?"

"Yes."

"If Edward didn't know about the state of your relationship with your father, is it fair to hold him responsible for abandoning you that day?"

Even though I could see the reasoning behind Chelsea's statement, I was angry. I knew that Edward wasn't psychic and couldn't have known about my emotional turmoil, but it was hard to admit that I might be wrong.

"No, I can't hold him responsible. But it doesn't change the fact that he should have been there for me."

"Bella," Chelsea said, "how can someone be there for you if you refuse to let them in?"

"I understand that," I snapped, "but I refuse to believe that my entire marriage fell apart because of it."

"Is that what Edward believes?"

"I think so. He said I was too busy punishing him to notice that we had problems. I just can't believe that. One day didn't ruin our marriage. It couldn't…"

All too soon the hour was up. It was amazing how quickly the time passed.

"Thank you for meeting with me today. I'm still not sure how I feel about talking to Edward, but I hope it'll be okay."

She just smiled at me. "In my experience, infidelity is a symptom of other problems in a relationship. While you were both equally responsible for these problems Bella, you were not responsible for Edward's lack of fidelity."

-o-o-o-

The following morning I drove with Alice and Rose to Red Rocks Amphitheater. The three of us were going to run stairs inside the park. Ever since Alice had ended her relationship with Felix, she was obsessed with improving herself. She was naturally thin; however she was certain that she would have more luck in love if she firmed up. When she mentioned working out as a group, Rose and I thought it could be fun.

The sixty-nine rows of benches and countless flights of stairs mocked me. I knew this workout was going to kick my ass.

Rose must have felt the same way because she glared at Alice, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

Alice just smirked, "You and your ass will thank me later."

We finally started our grueling workout. We ran, hopped, jumped, and skipped up and down the stairs.

An hour later the three of us were hunched over, trying to catch our breath. We guzzled some water and spread out some blankets. As we stretched, we talked about what was going on in our lives.

Rose and Emmett were still acclimating to living together. Emmett refused to pick up his dirty clothes and Rose refused to stop hanging her bra on the bedpost. From the sound of it, the two of them were frustrated with each other, but they were still being courteous about their annoyances and concerns.

Alice was horny. She was asking for reinforcement to ensure that she wouldn't call Felix to hook-up. After listening to her whine about the lack of orgasms from a real dick, the conversation turned to me.

I quickly filled Rose and Alice in on the confrontation with Edward. When I told them I was planning to meet him later in the week, I was met with mixed reactions.

Rose nodded her head. She had been trying to convince me to talk to Edward for weeks. After telling me to stay away from him, she now realized this needed to happen in order for me to move forward.

Alice took a deep breath and replied slowly, "Okay. I'll support you no matter what, but I still don't understand what you ever saw in him."

The disgusted look on her face took me by surprise. At that moment I realized I had done both Edward and myself a disservice. He was not an evil man. At one point, I had truly loved him.

I tried to explain. "Edward was a good man and one of my best friends. He was one of those people who would help anyone in need. We had a lot in common and could sit in comfortable silence together. Most importantly, he loved me for who I truly was, flaws and all."

Alice huffed, "Yeah. He loved you enough to fuck your friend."

I cringed.

_Would it always hurt to hear that?_

Rose interjected, "It's true, Alice. Edward used to be a lot of fun before he became obsessed with his career. Then he just became a flaming douche-bag, but I put up with him because he made Bella happy. They were that sickening couple you secretly hoped to be one day. The two of them lit up when they were together. The whole room would glow with their love."

She scrounged around in her purse and pulled a picture out of her wallet. She handed it to Alice and said, "Look. Have you ever seen anything like it?"

I leaned over and saw that the picture was from our wedding. We flew out to the Bahamas with our best friends and exchanged vows on the beach. As I looked at the picture, I couldn't help but smile. The photographer had truly captured the essence of our group.

Rose and Tanya were laughing. Peter and Jasper were wildly gesturing at each other while Garrett looked on in amusement. What really caught my attention was in the middle of the photograph. Edward and I were gazing at each other with dopey smiles on our faces. We were completely unaware of the fun going on around us.

It was a candid photograph of that day. It was perfect.

_God, we were so happy. And completely in love…._

"Why do you carry this with you?" I asked.

"It's one of the few pictures I have where we all look happy and carefree. I know it's weird because we aren't all friends anymore, but I just couldn't bear to part with it."

"It's obvious why you and Tanya aren't friends, but what about the others?" Alice asked.

"Garrett is Edward's best friend and cousin. Peter was his roommate in college. The only person who was as a mutual friend was Jasper, and I won him in the divorce."

Rose cleared her throat in protest.

"Okay. I didn't really win Jasper, but he was my divorce attorney."

Rose interrupted, "Jasper was always your friend and not really a part of the group. In all honesty, we weren't really that close. Tanya and I were Bella's friends. Peter and Garrett were Edward's friends. We would all spend time together and have fun, but I don't really remember having a lot of heart-to-hearts with the guys.

"I dated Garrett years ago and I do exchange emails with Peter every couple of months. The whole situation really rocked the group."

Alice was still looking at the picture. "I'm still pissed you didn't invite us, Bella. I would have liked to see you like this. You were radiant."

I gave Alice a hug. "I wish we were closer back then. Edward and I just wanted to get married without the fuss. We chose to only invite our close friends. I'm sorry, Alice."

"I understand. I'm just jealous that I wasn't there."

Rose laughed. "I'm sure you'll be at her next wedding. Hopefully, this time it'll stick."

I lightly pushed Rose's shoulder, "Yeah, Yeah. Laugh it up."

I took one last glance at the photo as Rose put it back in her wallet.

_God, I miss those days._

Alice looked thoughtful. "How does a love that strong end?"

_That's the million-dollar question…hopefully it would be answered on Saturday._

-o-o-o-

I was at the park, lounging on a picnic blanket and gazing at the fluffy clouds. The sound of children's laughter floated over from the playground. It was a gorgeous afternoon, yet I couldn't relax. I was meeting Edward today to discuss the affair.

_Would I fall apart? Would he?_

I tossed my head back and closed my eyes. I focused on how the sun warmed my skin and took deep breaths. It was important that I remain calm and objective during our conversation.

"Hi."

Edward was approaching. He moved with such casual elegance, that I couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was.

_If only the inside matched the outside…_

He sat down and looked at me. "Are you ready for this?" I asked.

He nodded his head. After a few moments of silence, I became impatient.

"What exactly did you want to talk about?"

Edward nervously played with a blade of grass. "I want you to know what happened with Tanya. After the argument we had in the driveway at my parent's house, we never talked about it. There are so many things I wish I'd said that day. I've been thinking about this conversation for years, but now I suddenly don't know what to say."

"How about you start with the first night?"

He sighed. "You had slowly been pulling away from me. We were both working such long hours and I thought you were deliberately ignoring me. I would mention counseling and you would tell me you were too busy.

"When I voiced a concern, you would tell me that everything would work out once I finished my residency and started my cardiology fellowship. If I pressed, you would tell me that we would address the issue in the future if it didn't resolve itself. At the time, I remember feeling pressured to complete my residency and to work out all my issues on my own. We lived for the future without addressing how to get there.

"So when I realized that I didn't want to be a cardiologist or possibly even a doctor, I panicked. Our entire marriage was dependent upon it. If the plan changed, would we survive? I wasn't sure you'd want to stay with me if I wasn't a doctor. You were so insistent that things would get better once I finished my residency."

_I hadn't realized he was so stressed…_

"Edward, you should have talked to me about this," I said.

"I tried," he exclaimed. "I called you that night and told you that I needed to see you. You told me that you didn't have time."

I remembered that conversation vividly.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

**(FLASHBACK)**

It was a late night at the office and I was dealing with a demanding author. I was desperately trying to finish editing so I could make it home sometime before midnight. The shrill ring of the phone grated my nerves even further.

I answered, "Bella Masen."

"When are you coming home, love?"

"I'm going to be late. I'm working on one of my books and I'd really like to get ahead before tomorrow."

"Would you be able to come home sooner rather than later? I really need to see you."

My voice was filled with annoyance when I responded. "Edward, I'm very understanding about your work hours. I wish you'd extend the same courtesy to me."

"I do support you, Bella. You just said that you were working to get ahead. If you can make it home earlier, I would appreciate it. I'm dealing with a crisis regarding work and I just really need to talk to you. I wouldn't ask unless it was important," he pleaded.

_Of course. Everything is always about him…_

"I'm sure you can handle it. Your job is just stressing you out. It'll all be okay once you finish your residency. It will all be worth it in the end."

His breath caught. "What if I don't want to be a pediatric cardiologist anymore?" he stuttered.

"You'd better still want to be a pediatric cardiologist. We've sacrificed so much for it," I said with a bitter laugh.

"Bella, please come home," he begged.

"I'll be there when I finish this up. I wait for you, so do the same for me."

"How long do you think you'll be?" he asked hopefully.

_I never press him…_

"A while," I snapped. "You can be patient and wait for me one night."

"Bella, it's not like I'm asking the world from you. I really need to see you. We hardly have any time together as it is."

_Whose fault is that?_

"Maybe you should find something to do while you're waiting. You could go to the pub or something."

"Fine," Edward snapped, "I hope you enjoy working tonight."

"I'll see you later," I sighed, "Bye."

**(END FLASHBACK)**

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The desperation in Edward's voice had haunted me. After our divorce, I often thought of that phone call and wondered if I should have just gone home. Now I had my answer.

"So that was the night Tanya blew you at the bar?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "I was so stressed and angry. I couldn't believe that you would choose to stay at work instead of coming home. So I took your advice and headed to the pub. Tanya walked in hours later. I was so drunk that I was falling off my barstool.

"She led me to a back booth and asked me what was wrong. I told her that my life was in ruins. She asked me questions about you and our marriage. I remember telling her that I didn't want to discuss it with her. When she pressed me, I asked, 'When you live for the future, what happens when your future is gone?'

"She told me to live in the moment and to focus on what made me happy. The only thing that was accomplished by living in the future, was taking the present for granted. I don't really remember what happened after that. The next thing I knew Tanya was under the table."

I cringed at the image that was floating in my head.

_That fucking slut._

I tried to remain calm. "So what happened after that night? Why did you continue the affair?"

Edward wrung his hands. "As soon as it was over, I sobered up. All I could think about was how I betrayed you. I ran home to confess my sins and to beg you to forgive me. When I arrived home, you weren't there. I sat on the couch and waited for you. When you came home, you blew me off and went to bed. I know I should have told you what happened right away, but you didn't want to talk to me. So I resolved to tell you the next day."

My stomach flipped as I thought back on that night. "I remember that. When I came home you were sitting there tugging at your hair. God, you were a mess. Your eyes were all red and you looked so tired. I really thought that you just needed to get some sleep. I know that I handled that night badly, Edward and I should have listened to you. Before and after your indiscretion. But, it still doesn't explain why the affair continued."

"I know," he sighed. "At first, I ignored Tanya. I felt so guilty and I was trying to find a way to tell you what happened. After a week, I grew frustrated. It seemed like you didn't want to talk to me. I would try to meet you for lunch at our café, but you didn't have the time. Eventually, I became angry."

Edward ran his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated growl. "I was in the middle of my residency, yet I was the one who was trying to be flexible with my schedule. You hardly ever made an effort to meet with me. At the time, it seemed like I was the only one who cared about our marriage.

"So one day, I just stopped trying. I stopped asking you to talk to me. I stopped asking you to meet me for lunch. I stopped initiating our interactions. I thought for sure that you would pick up the slack. Maybe you'd start missing me like I missed you. You didn't. You almost seemed relieved that I wasn't pressuring you anymore."

_I was…_

The pain in Edward's eyes shocked me. He truly believed that I hadn't cared about him. I opened my mouth to speak, but Edward held up his hand.

"Please let me get through this, Bella."

I nodded.

"After a few weeks, I came to the conclusion that you didn't love me anymore and that the only reason that we lasted so long was because I put all the effort into our relationship." He gave me an apologetic look and continued, "Looking back, I know that you did put effort into us, but at the time I couldn't see it."

_I'm going to be sick…_

_I was a horrible wife. I was so incredibly selfish._

Edward's posture changed and his face morphed into a somber expression. "It was about that time that I started seeing more of Tanya. She was dropping by the hospital during my shifts. Sometimes she would bring me coffee, other times she would bring me lunch. We never had deep conversations, but it was nice to feel appreciated. With everything going on with us, I was starved for attention.

"I had sex with her a month later in the on-call room. We hardly ever met outside of the hospital. It was always a quick romp and maybe a coffee. Things with Tanya were easy. I never had to do anything. She always worked around my schedule and needs. I liked how someone thought I was worth the effort for once. As shitty as it sounds, the opportunity was there and it gave me a needed ego boost."

"You're right. It does sound shitty," I said angrily.

"I'm not trying to justify my actions, Bella," Edward sighed, "I know there is no excuse for my cheating. I just wanted you to know that I never set out to have an affair. I loved you. I was feeling insecure and unloved. I made some horrible decisions, but I never wanted our marriage to end. I just missed you. I missed us."

_Seriously???_

"Okay, Edward. I can understand that you seized the opportunity, but your reasoning doesn't make sense. If you missed me and didn't want our marriage to end, why would you sleep with someone else? Did you think I wouldn't notice a third person in our marriage?" I asked incredulously.

He answered in a defensive tone, "No offense, Bella, but you didn't notice."

_Remain calm. Breathe in and out._

Edward read my silence and quickly continued. "Sorry, that was unnecessarily cruel." He took a deep breath. "I wasn't thinking right at the beginning. As time went on, I realized that I was destroying everything. I was trying to find a way out, but every possible solution led to heartbreak."

"How could you be that unhappy? You told me you might love her."

_This could kill me._

_Please, Please, Please, don't tell me you loved her more than me_.

Edward shook his head violently. "I hate that I told you that. I didn't love Tanya; I just appreciated that she fulfilled my needs. This is a whole other conversation in itself, but it's getting late. Could we continue this at another time?"

I looked around and suddenly noticed how late it was. The sun was setting and a quick glance at my watch told me that Edward and I had been in the park for hours.

"Sure. Same time and place, next week?"

He sighed, "I'm not sure about my schedule. How about I call you and let you know a time?"

I briefly thought that this could be a ploy to get my new phone number, but the look on Edward's face was sincere. I entered my number into his phone and hoped that I wasn't making a huge mistake.

As we walked toward our cars, I couldn't help but wonder about my role in all this.

_Was it really all my fault? Did I drive Edward into Tanya's arms?_

_NO._

I finally realized what Chelsea had been trying to tell me. Edward's and my marriage was falling apart before the affair. We both made significant mistakes because of fear. Edward was scared of being less than perfect and I was scared to talk about the tough issues.

"Edward, I really am sorry that I wasn't there for you. I should have taken your concerns seriously and I should have agreed to go to counseling. We really did have a lot of issues. At the same time, I refuse to accept responsibility for your affair. Yes, I made many mistakes, but that is not on me."

Edward gave me a sad smile. "I know."

As I pulled out of the park, I smiled.

For the first time in years, I didn't feel nauseated when I thought about Edward…

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism****. This week's bribe is an EPOV of him reading Bella's book. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**Recommendations:**

**-Web of Deceit, by Brindalyn: Wanting revenge Esme sends Bella on a mission to take down Cullen Inc. Bella's life gets turned upside down. She gets engaged to Carlisle, falls in love with Edward, and tries desperately to get Esme back with Carlisle where she belongs. There are currently 20 chapters posted. Fanfiction(dot)net/s/5211159/1/Web_of_Deceit**

**-Almost Doesn't Count, by Mrs. Robward: Bella is a family attorney & Edward seeks her help. Friendship abounds, maybe more? This is a sweet story with high levels of UST. She currently has 15 chapters up. Fanfiction(dot)net/s/5438780/1/Almost_Doesnt_Count**

**Also, thanks to the following people for recommending this story:**

**-Hopeless Romantic**

**- Brouillons**

**-thatgirljen**


	14. An Affair To Forget

**Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.**

**A/N: I'm sorry about the delay in posting this chapter. I know I have not responded to everyone's reviews and PMs. If you have not received a copy of the last bribe, you can find it posted in the separate story, ''A Woman Scorned Outtakes." P.S. I will be finishing AWS and updating regularly. Please see the note at the end for more information.**

**IG- Thank you for holding my hand this chapter and for talking me off the cliff…. Even when I'm sure you wanted to shove me over the edge. I appreciate your honesty more than I can say.

* * *

**

_Previously:_

"_Edward, I really am sorry I wasn't there for you. I should've taken your concerns seriously and I should've agreed to go to counseling. We really did have a lot of issues. At the same time, I refuse to accept responsibility for your affair. Yes, I made many mistakes, but that is not on me."_

_Edward gave me a sad smile. "I know."_

_As I pulled out of the park, I smiled._

_For the first time in years, I didn't feel nauseated when I thought about Edward…_

**2008**

"That asshole," I grumbled as I ran around Washington Park. "Motherfucking piece of shit."

A woman near me gave me a guarded look of concern. She'd been watching me for the last half-mile.

_Yeah, lady. I know I'm crazy. Talking to myself like a fucking wackadoo…_

I pumped my legs faster and left the poor, confused woman behind me.

My lungs felt like they were going to explode. I'd been pushing myself hard for the last few days in an effort to work through my newfound anger issues.

_It wasn't working…_

I was livid.

After my talk with Edward, I initially felt relieved and somewhat hopeful. He cheated on me because he was feeling neglected and unloved. For some reason, I was ecstatic to hear that Edward wished he'd never said he loved Tanya. I thought this knowledge would lessen the level of betrayal.

I was wrong.

The entire conversation revolved around how I wasn't there for him and how my neglect pushed him into another woman's arms. He yelled at me for only focusing on his flaws in "A Woman Scorned," yet he was guilty of the same thing.

Sure, I had neglected our marriage for a time, but I tried to fix things. When I thought back to the last eight months of our marriage, I realized the timeline was not as cut and dried as Edward made it out to be. The fucker had plenty of opportunities to talk to me about our problems, but he chickened out.

_Suggesting marriage counseling once doesn't count._

I was sweaty and out-of-breath by the time I finished my run. Not to mention, I was still angry. Whoever said stress could be controlled with exercise was a fucking liar.

_Good thing I have a session with Chelsea this afternoon…_

-o-o-o-

"How'd it go?" Chelsea asked me.

I informed her all about my talk with Edward. Reliving the conversation added to my pent-up rage. I flexed my fingers and took deep breaths to calm myself. Chelsea noticed my demeanor.

"Why are you so angry, Bella?"

"I'm angry because his argument is bullshit!" I exclaimed. "I was sulking, thinking about what a horrible wife I was and how I pushed my husband away. Yet, when I stop and think about it, the actual chain of events was not how he remembers it."

"What happened?"

"My parents' anniversary was eight months before I discovered the affair. For a week or so afterward, I was distant. I felt like I was alone. This was when I refused to go to counseling. During the next few weeks, I was made aware that I was up for Senior Editor. I told Edward that I would be working longer hours because the promotion was important to me.

"I guess he felt neglected because he pushed me to decrease my hours. I just felt like he should be more understanding. I had put my needs and desires on the backburner to support his dream to pursue medicine. I felt that he was being hypocritical. I appreciated that he wanted to meet me for lunch, but I often had meetings with authors.

"When he harassed me about work, I would get annoyed. I wanted to spend time with him, but I also needed him to realize that my editing was as important to me as medicine was to him. So when he backed off, I was relieved."

"Relieved?"

"Yes. I thought he finally got it. It seemed like he understood that I was trying to get my career on the fast-track. After I earned the promotion, I realized something was off. I didn't know at the time that Edward had given up on us. I just thought that we needed to put some extra effort into our marriage."

Chelsea took some notes before she asked, "What happened once you realized that you and Edward were growing apart?"

"I tried to fall back into our old routine. Only this time, Edward was too busy for me. I wrote it off as Residency hours. I never suspected an affair."

"During our last session you said that you felt like Edward would abandon you. Did an affair not fall into this category?"

"It never even occurred to me! I thought maybe he'd pull away emotionally, but I never thought he would cheat. We loved each other. Not to mention, he was always working."

"How did you feel about your marriage at the time?"

"I was concerned. Edward was so tired and distant. I just kept telling myself that it would all work out when his residency ended. I couldn't afford to lose faith in us.

"During the last month of our marriage, I really started pushing him. I tried to make dates and I met him at the hospital for lunch a couple of times. Our sex life had become nonexistent, so I bought lingerie."

I had to stop talking for a moment. I was nauseated thinking about my shopping trips to Victoria's Secret and Agent Provocateur. I dressed up and paraded around for Edward, yet he hardly touched me.

_He had touched her…_

"How was your sex life after your purchases?" Chelsea inquired.

"I can't handle talking about sex today. I barely have my temper under control as it is," I answered forcefully.

"Okay, Bella," she paused. "How'd Edward respond to your increased efforts?"

"He started acting like my Edward again. There were times when he was distant, but he seemed happy. He was thrilled when I told him I wanted to plan a special surprise for our anniversary."

"Then why do you think he went to her that day?"

"I wish I knew."

-o-o-o-

I spent time researching potential homes in the Denver area. After some reflection, I decided to continue living in a loft or condo downtown. I could always move to the suburbs later on. Now was the time to embrace my single-girl life where I could live in a home without a yard or good school system. Not to mention, it would be the first time since my divorce that I truly lived alone. After college, Edward and I had moved into our own place together. When we divorced, I lived with Esme and Carlisle, and then Alice, and Rose.

When I told Alice that I was seriously looking for a new place, she was disappointed. She asked me to reconsider moving out and told me that she would make an effort to keep the condo clean. Even after I explained that I was looking forward to having my own place, she started to clean regularly.

Alice had been cleaning all day today and I was worried about her. It had been awhile since she'd lived alone and I thought maybe she was scared. When I asked her about it, she ignored the question and insisted that she was a "big girl" who could handle living on her own. Then she'd make a joke about how I'd never want to leave the Riverfront Park area and that I would buy a condo down the hall.

_We'll see..._

Alice turned off the vacuum and exclaimed, "Damn, this place looks good."

"I know. Why am I moving out again?"

Alice flipped me off and replied, "I'm not that bad and you know it."

"Sure you're not. This is only the second time you've vacuumed in months."

She was about to respond when there was a knock at the door. Alice walked away while I continued to admire our clean condo.

_There is nothing better than a clean home. _

_If only it stayed this way… _

The slamming of a door disrupted my relaxing moment. Alice stormed into the room and spat, "You have a visitor."

"Who is it?"

"The Anti-Christ," she mumbled.

_Huh?_

I had no idea who Alice was talking about. When I reached the entryway, I was surprised to find it empty.

I heard a muffled voice say, "Alice? May I please come in?"

_Oh my God! Is that who I think it is?_

I threw open the door and squealed, "Jasper! What are you doing here?"

He gathered me into a hug and exclaimed, "You think I'd miss Rose's engagement?"

Alice gasped behind me. "Emmett is going to propose?"

_Oh shit._

I tried to think of ways to defuse the situation, but I knew I was screwed.

Alice took one look at my face and said, "You knew."

"Yes," I answered.

"I can't believe Emmett wouldn't tell me!" she ranted as she stormed around. "How did _he_ know before I did?" Her exaggerated pointing in Jasper's direction revealed how hurt and annoyed she was.

I couldn't blame her.

Emmett and I had gone to Tiffany's last week to pick out the perfect engagement ring. He was planning on proposing to Rose tomorrow night. Jasper and I were the only ones who knew about it besides the parents of the bride and groom. Emmett specifically requested that Alice not be told because she had problems keeping secrets. When I told him she would be pissed she wasn't involved in the ring-shopping or proposal-planning, Emmett said she would "get over it."

Jasper noticed my discomfort and replied, "Emmett called me to ask my permission."

"Well, Emmett should have told me," Alice spat. "I'm his fucking sister!"

Jasper glared at her. "Maybe if you could keep your trap shut, he would've."

"Excuse, me?"

"You heard me," Jasper said. "You're always running your mouth. Every time I see you, you never shut up. With all your talking, you often reveal things you shouldn't. Maybe Emmett wanted to actually surprise Rose."

_True…_

"Fuck off," she countered. "You don't even know me. It's not my fault you can't relax and have fun. Sometimes I think you're a mute. If you weren't so hot, people wouldn't put up with you."

"Of course I'm quiet around you," he scoffed. "No one can get a word in edgewise. I still think you need to look into some Ritalin. It's nice to know you think I'm hot, though."

Alice flipped him off and stormed out of the room.

"Would it kill you two to get along? This is an important event for Rose and Emmett. I really don't want to have to mediate the entire time we're together," I sighed

"I'll try to be civil, but I can't make any guarantees," Jasper replied.

"How did all this animosity start?"

I was truly perplexed. They met when Rose moved to Denver. He stayed for a week after we helped Rose unpack, to help her get settled. At first, they were awkward and shy. Alec was sure they were sexually attracted to each other and if Felix wasn't in the picture, they'd hook up. That thought was thrown out the window when we all sat down to eat dinner together.

Alice and Jasper were polar opposites. She was loud and eccentric. He was calm and reserved. The only thing passing between them seemed to be annoyance.

Jasper sighed. "She just rubs me the wrong way. I expected her to be the wonderful friend you described. Then she opened her mouth and all she talked about was parties. Not to mention, she blurted some rude and hurtful things. I guess I was just expecting her to be different."

_Rude and hurtful?_

"Jasper, I can see how Alice might seem shallow, but she isn't. She owns her own event planning business. The parties she talks about have to do with her job."

"Of course," he huffed, "she'd choose to do something pointless and frivolous."

"Those parties aren't always so pointless and frivolous. She's responsible for planning most of the charity events in Denver. The woman donates time and resources so that foundations are able to raise significant funds."

"Fine. I'll admit that she tries to contribute to society by _planning events_," he mocked.

"Jasper," I sighed.

"Okay, okay. But you have to agree that she doesn't make a great first impression. Not to mention, her boyfriend's a dick. What kind of girl dates such an asshole?"

"Yes, Felix can sometimes be an ass, but he's also a good friend. Besides, they aren't together anymore. Please, just give them both another chance."

"Fine. But she'd better make an effort as well. If not, all bets are off."

I just nodded.

I would talk to Alice; however, I knew that she would be harder to convince to play nice. I loved the girl to pieces, but she was a stubborn bitch sometimes.

With a deep breath, I changed the subject. "Are you still planning on staying with us?"

"As long as it's okay with Alice."

"I'm sure it's fine," I replied. "You're family. Just let me get some blankets so you can sleep on the pullout couch."

I braced myself for Alice's temper as I walked down the hall to her room. I knocked twice before she answered the door, swinging it open with an annoyed look on her face. Before I opened my mouth, she said forcefully, "NO."

"No?"

"He's not staying here."

She was in an aggressive stance, ready for a fight.

_She doesn't know who she's messing with. I'm already extremely angry this week…_

"Actually, Alice, he's staying," I replied breezily. "Jasper is family. Not to mention, the two of you fighting would really hurt Emmett and Rose. Don't you want to make this week wonderful for the two of them?"

She snorted, "Why should I care what makes it easier for Emmett? Besides, wouldn't it be better for everyone if Jasper stayed at a hotel?"

_Fucking brat._

"This is supposed to be a wonderful time for Emmett and Rosalie. I know that you're upset with Emmett because he didn't tell you, but it's not like he purposely hurt your feelings."

"Fine, but I still don't see why I should let Jasper stay here."

I'd had enough of her selfish attitude. "Alice, you and Jasper are going to be part of the same family soon. The two of you need to learn how to get along," I stated in my deadliest voice.

She just shrugged.

"I mean it, Alice. If you two ruin everything, I'll personally kick your asses. Then, when I'm through beating you, I'll call Esme and let her finish you off."

"Fine," she huffed, "but he'd better be on his best behavior!"

_This was going to be a long week…_

-o-o-o-

The ringing of my phone woke me up. I looked at the clock and realized that it was seven a.m. on a Saturday.

_Who calls early on the weekends? _

I quickly hit talk and mumbled a greeting.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't mean to wake you," Edward said apologetically.

"Edward, it's seven a.m. on a weekend. You'd wake most people up."

"Sorry," he sighed, "I'm just starting a shift and wanted to talk to you before I got caught up in work."

"Okay. What's going on?" I said with a slight edge to my voice. I was trying to be civil, but my week of epiphanies wasn't helping.

His obvious unease alerted me to how nervous he was. "I know we were supposed to meet tomorrow to talk, but would you be willing to meet Monday at noon instead?"

"I can do that."

"Sounds good. Go back to sleep, Bella."

"I'll try. See you tomorrow, Edward."

I fought back my agitation and figured I'd hold off until I saw him. Then I saved his number in my phone.

_You never know… I might need it someday._

-o-o-o-

Later that morning I woke to the sound of Alice and Jasper fighting. Apparently, Alice purposefully banged pots and woke Jasper up. I knew I should stop them from killing each other, but I was exhausted. Instead, I quickly changed and left the apartment.

Today, Alec was helping me look for a new place. I had numerous lofts that I wanted to look at in different neighborhoods. Alec loved downtown as much as I did, and was interested in seeing the interiors of all the different residential buildings.

For the next five hours, we scoured all over the downtown area. In the end, there was only one loft that I was interested in. The problem was that it was located in the same building Tyler lived in.

Alec and I were debating whether or not the apartment was worth my sharing an address with Tyler, when he brought up a good point. "I don't think the issue is necessarily with Tyler, but his _friends_. Could you imagine running into him and a girl late at night?"

_Add that to the list of things I never want to do._

"I don't want to know who my ex is sleeping with now. Besides, the booty-call temptation might be too great."

It _had_ been forever. I hadn't had sex since Tyler. I wasn't sure I could live in the same building and not think about engaging in a repeat performance.

_I really need to get laid. Or invest in a new vibrator…_

"If you're going to participate in casual sex, there's no need to call Tyler. I'm happy to volunteer my services," Alec said with a wink.

"Nah," I teased, "you're too much of a gamble. How do I know that you'd satisfy me? I'd hate to lose our friendship over a crappy romp."

"But a good orgasm would be worth it? Glad to know my friendship means so little to you," he jested.

"You obviously aren't going through a dry-spell. A non-self-induced orgasm is worth a great deal to me right now. If I were you, I'd feel flattered."

He laughed.

-o-o-o-

Ironically, Alice was right and I found my new home across the parking lot from Alice's condo, in the other Glass House Tower. When a real estate agent showed me the penthouse unit, I fell in love.

I began negotiating with the agent as we were taking the elevator down to the lobby. When the doors opened, I saw Alec talking with two women. I immediately recognized one girl. She lived across the hall from Alec and always seemed to be leaving her apartment. The second was a tall, platinum-blond bombshell I didn't recognize. Alec looked uncomfortable and nauseated as the blond rubbed up against him like a cat. I couldn't decide if I was entertained by her blatant seduction attempts, or humiliated for her.

His eyes locked onto mine and his face broke out into a large grin. "Baby!" he exclaimed, "You're finally here! I've missed you!"

Before I could reply, Alec swept me up into his arms and pleaded, "Please play along."

I swatted his arm and teased, "Sweetie, aren't you sick of me yet? You saw me just this morning!"

He peppered my neck with kisses and said loud enough for the girls to hear, "If you don't stop talking about this morning, I'm going to be forced to keep you in bed for the rest of the day."

I ran my hands up his chest. "Don't tease me."

The blond woman was not amused with our display. She glared at me and huffed, "And you are?"

"Bella Cullen." I extended my hand and waited to see if she would shake it. She didn't. Instead, she looked at my hand as if she might catch a disease if she touched me.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Alec quickly interjected, "Forgive me. I'm being rude. Baby, this is Jane Volturi. Jane, this is my gorgeous girlfriend, Bella."

"Girlfriend," Jane snorted. "You don't have girlfriends."

Now it all made sense. Jane must have been one of Alec's past conquests. Either that or she hoped to be one. I felt like I should know who she was.

"True. I never used to be a one-woman man, but Bella here changed that," Alec said as he looked at me adoringly.

I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek to show my "love and devotion."

"Enjoy it while you can, sweetheart. Pretty soon he'll toss you to the side and make his way back to my bed," she stated flippantly and walked away.

The second girl immediately apologized. "I'm so sorry. I knew she would be difficult if she ran into you, but I didn't think she would be so blatantly aggressive."

"It's not a big deal, Jess but please promise never to have her housesit for you again," he teased.

She laughed, "No. I'm sure you'll be willing to get my mail and water my plants for free, just so you won't have to see Jane."

"Yes. I definitely will," he laughed. Alec looked at me inquisitively and asked, "B, have I introduced you to Jess before?"

"No, I don't think we've officially met."

"We haven't," she said and stuck out her hand for me to shake. "I'm Jessica Stanley. I feel like I should know you because I seem to always run into you outside my apartment."

"Yes. You constantly seem to be hurrying off somewhere."

"Oh, I'm a nurse at the Children's Hospital, so I'm always working different shifts."

"That would explain it then. I'm glad to finally meet you."

After saying our goodbyes to Jess, Alec and I entered the elevator. Once the doors closed, I cocked my eyebrow and asked, "Want to tell me what all that was about?"

"Right before you moved to Denver, I slept with Jane. She was house-sitting for Jess and we kept seeing each other. One night I came home drunk and she was there. Afterward, she turned into a real clinger. Unluckily for me, Jess was out of the country for another week. Jane consistently cornered me and even followed me after Jess returned home. It wasn't until Felix talked to her that she left me alone."

_Felix?_

"Oh shit," I exclaimed, "is she Felix's crazy cousin? The girl the two of you are afraid of?"

"Yeah. For a while there, I thought I was going to have to get a restraining order against her," he chuckled. "Thank God she and Jess aren't that close. They work together and are acquaintances, but Jane isn't over here that often."

"But now she thinks I'm your girlfriend," I sighed dejectedly.

"Yes. What's your point?"

_Just what I need…. A crazy, bitch stalker._

"Way to sic a psycho on me."

He laughed. "Aren't you glad that we'll be living in the same building, B?"

-o-o-o-

Monday afternoon I drove to meet Edward. As much as I wanted to rage at him after a long week of being furious about his skewed view of our marriage, I wanted answers more.

_Keep it under control, Bella._

I continued to talk to myself as I walked through the park. I rounded a corner and found Edward waiting for me, sitting on a blanket. The man had his problems, but at least he was punctual.

I greeted him and sat down next to him. Edward must have been nervous because he couldn't look me in the eyes. Instead, he fidgeted with the edge of his shirt.

He took a deep breath and said, "I'm so incredibly sorry, Bella."

_Yes, you definitely ARE sorry. Asshole. Okay, so maybe I needed to work on my anger control._

"When I told you I wanted to talk about the affair last week, I was telling the truth. I thought if I told you everything, if I explained how it all happened, you'd realize that I never meant to hurt you. For some reason, I thought if I could just explain to you what I learned in therapy, you would forgive me and maybe we could start over again."

I scoffed at his juvenile reasoning.

"I know," he stated, "it was dumb. I can tell you what I was thinking and I rationalize my behavior, but it won't change anything. When it comes down to it, it doesn't matter what my intentions were. I hurt and betrayed you, and I am so incredibly sorry. I wish I could do something to make it better, and make you love me again, but I can't."

_Wait! Was this an actual apology_?

I asked cautiously, "If you knew this before we spoke yesterday, then why did you still want to meet and talk about the affair? What do you stand to gain?"

"Nothing really," he said. "I'm not here for me. I know I hurt you. I just wanted to look you in the eye and tell you that I'm sorry I disrespected you and treated you the way I did. For the first time in a long time, I'm trying to do the right thing."

"So that's it? No long explanations or justifications, just an apology?"

I was annoyed and frustrated. I wasn't expecting a humble and apologetic Edward. I was prepared for a fight. I'd spent the entire week being an angry bitch for nothing, apparently. It was becoming difficult to maintain my righteous, angry stance.

_Maybe I can be calm after all…_

He sighed. "Whatever you want. If you just needed an apology, then we can be done. If not, I'll do whatever I can to help you move on. I've given this a lot of thought and after talking with Kate, I realize the best thing I can do for you is to answer any questions you may have."

_Kate?_

Edward noticed the look on my face and quickly explained, "Kate Denali. Well, I guess I should call her Kate Gold now."

"Kate married Garrett? And the two of you talk now?"

_What the hell?_

Kate had practically been my older sister growing up. I'd lost her along with Tanya after the affair. Somehow, Edward still had her in his life. What had I done to deserve this?

"Yes. The two of them eloped last year."

"What the fuck?" I asked despondently. "How is it that you have an affair and get to keep my second family after the divorce?"

"Bella," he whispered, "it really isn't like that. If it makes you feel any better, Kate pretty much hates me. The only reason she puts up with me is because of Garrett."

"Well, it doesn't make me feel better, Edward," I exclaimed. "What would make me feel better is still having my family in my life. Why'd you have to sleep with Tanya? You could've chosen any woman in the world, but you had to fuck my best friend? What did I do to you to deserve that level of betrayal?"

After a moment, he said, "I'm really nervous about answering that question, Bella. I want you to understand that I NEVER loved Tanya. I'm scared that if I don't say this correctly, you'll walk away thinking I was in love with her."

_What kind of double-talk is this?_

I sighed. I really didn't want to put up with Edward's emo bullshit today. I just wanted some answers about why he fucked my best friend.

"Please just know that you are, and have always been, the love of my life," he said with passion in his voice. "I have never loved anyone more than I love you."

_Love?_

Edward's declarations were making me uneasy. I was concerned that he had to prep his answer with this announcement. Not to mention, I was sure that if I spoke, I would only yell hateful comments about how he showed me he "loved me more than anyone else" by screwing my best friend for a quarter of our marriage. However, I understood that it would be significantly easier for Edward to answer my questions honestly if I wasn't trying to castrate him… yet.

_Let him talk himself into a hole, Bella. Then hammer him._

I nodded in response.

He took a deep breath and began. "I've always been a people-pleaser. Hell, my parents raised me to be one. I was only shown affection when I acted like the model child. I was granted attention when I acted out, but it never lasted. I always strove to please my parents. So when we married, I tried to be the ideal husband."

_Breathe. I'm going to lose it if he's implying what I think he is._

"Edward, I never asked you to be perfect. I just wanted you to love me."

"I know, Bella. I'm just trying to explain the situation to you. Please hear me out."

I could see how difficult this was for him. His hair was standing on end from where he had repeatedly tugged on it. Not to mention, he was jittery. His hands were shaking.

"Looking back, I can see all the mistakes I made along the way. I was insecure and let my insecurities rule me. I was scared to veer off my life plan. I was afraid that if I tried to be a different version of me, you would never love me. Instead of talking to you about my fears, I made a comment during a phone call and convinced myself that you didn't care when you responded in a way that I didn't like. I let that one comment shut me down and I gave up trying to explain anything to you.

"In hindsight, I know that I can't hold you responsible for not knowing about my inner dilemma, because I never let you know the severity of the situation. I never fully explained to you that I was in a crisis with my career and my life. Yes, I brought up therapy, but I didn't let you know how dire I'd felt the situation had become. Instead, I got into something and then continued to betray you over and over. I looked you in the eye and lied to you every day. That is not how you treat a person you say you love. Love is not just a feeling. It's a choice and an action. My actions did not reflect the love I felt for you.

"Whether I felt you were paying enough attention to me or not, is not the issue. You supported me when I was in medical school, and then when you needed support for your career, all I could think about was that I selfishly wanted you home. You explained to me that your potential promotion was important to you and that the long hours were temporary, but I couldn't look past my own needs. It was hypocritical and selfish of me to expect your life to revolve around mine. Once again, I should have just told you what was going on and how I felt. Instead, I justified my actions by telling myself that I didn't choose my hours, but you chose yours. I convinced myself it was your fault because you were ignoring me.

"I wish I'd talked to you. Instead I looked outside of our marriage for some sort of validation. I let my insecurities take control and she swooped in on me when I was at my most vulnerable. I was constantly trying to please everyone around me, but Tanya never expected me to be anything other than myself. I know now that I was just afraid of losing you. I can't hold you responsible for things you didn't know about. I apologize for not having enough faith in you. I should have given you the chance to stand by me and support me through my personal crisis. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you, Bella. You deserved better than that from me."

_There he is…_

For the first time in years, I recognized the Edward in front of me. This was the man I had loved and married. He was humble, articulate, and sincere. He completely disarmed my anger. If he could be honest with me, then I owed him the same courtesy.

"Thank you so much for the apology, Edward. It means a lot to me that you are willing to accept responsibility for the affair. I also owe you an apology. I should have been more attentive during the last few months of our marriage. While my job was important to me, it was never more important than you. I should have taken the time to talk with you. You might have felt more comfortable sharing your thoughts with me if I was present and supportive. I'm sorry I took you for granted."

"Thank you." He smiled.

After a moment, I inquired, "One thing still bothers me. At the end, you said you might love Tanya. Why would you tell me that if you didn't truly love her?"

"I wasn't sure about my feelings for Tanya at the time. We shared mutual friends and a history. She loved me unconditionally. At one point, I determined that my life would be so much easier if I loved her too. I thought I could…"

_Ouch. That hurt._

"If you felt that way about her, why did you stay with me? Why didn't you divorce me so you wouldn't have to sneak around?"

_Why does this feel as raw as it did when we divorced? Shouldn't I be over this by now?_

"I didn't want to be with Tanya. I felt angry, neglected, and confused, but I never wanted to leave you. On some level, I wanted you to notice that someone loved me unconditionally. I guess I just hoped that you'd realize what was right in front of you."

"So, what? You screwed my best friend to make me jealous?" I asked incredulously.

"It sounds dumb, but yes. I was acting out and it backfired."

_Holy hell._

"Acting out? Seriously? Like a child throwing a tantrum?"

"I'm not saying I was right or trying to justify my actions, Bella. I'm just telling you what my motivations were."

"I don't understand, Edward. Why did you go through the trouble of constructing such an elaborate and risky plan? Wouldn't it have been better to place all that effort into just communicating with me?"

"I didn't construct an elaborate scheme to hurt you. At the time, I wasn't even sure why I was doing it. I just wanted to be loved. It took me eighteen months of therapy to realize why I threw our marriage away over someone I didn't want."

"Really?"

"Yes. It was really disturbing that I was unable to articulate why I had an affair. I destroyed my entire life and didn't know why. It's not like I loved Tanya or wanted to be with her." He sighed. "Nothing was gained by the end of our marriage."

I finally understood. "That's why you wished you could love Tanya? So the affair would've been worth it in the end?"

Edward sighed in relief, "Yes. That's exactly it. Loving her would've made things easier."

_For him…_

"I just have one question though: If you were with Tanya to feel loved and to get my attention, why'd you push me away when I tried to reach out to you? Why wouldn't you end it and come back to me?"

"I was so happy when you started putting effort into our relationship again. I finally had my wife back, but at the same time, I felt so incredibly guilty. It was at that time it hit me full-force that I was screwing around with my wife's best friend. I was so ashamed. I decided to end my relationship with Tanya."

_Yeah, right._

"It didn't seem like things were over on our anniversary, Edward," I said pointedly.

He winced. "I know. Tanya threatened to tell you all about the affair when I tried to end things with her. I didn't want to you to find out about our betrayal."

"So you just hoped I'd never find out? Or better yet," I paused, "you would continue to fuck her so I wouldn't find out?"

"It was either that or confess," he stated simply. "At the time, I thought it would be selfish of me to tell you everything. If it had been, let's say, you and Garrett, I would've never wanted to know. I decided at the time that if it came up, I would just tell you that I slept with a stranger."

"Why would you protect Tanya like that?"

"It wasn't about protecting her, but protecting you. If you ever found out I cheated on you, I wanted you to have your best friend. The thought of you knowing that we both betrayed you gutted me."

"If it made you feel so horrible, then why were you with her on our anniversary?"

Edward's face flushed and he started wringing his hands. He finally said, "Tanya told me you had to work late and needed to cancel our date. When I asked her why she was the one telling me, she said that you asked her to pass along the message because you didn't have time to call me. I was so angry that I agreed to go out to dinner with her."

"How did dinner turn into you fucking her on her kitchen counter?" I spat.

"We were just supposed to go to her apartment so she could change shoes. Supposedly, her heels were killing her. She came onto me in the elevator. I was hurt that you cancelled our date and I just folded."

"I would possibly believe that, if I didn't hear you say you'd been thinking about being inside her all day. It sounded more like a planned event than a spontaneous revenge screw, Edward."

His face flashed with guilt. "I was just so hurt. It was supposed to be an important night for us, and you cancelled. I just wanted to be with someone who cared about me and loved me. The entire time I was thinking of you."

_Why do guys always say that? Is it supposed to make me feel better to know he imagined me? Gross._

"Edward, that is just wrong on so many levels." I sighed and continued. "By the way, I never cancelled our date."

"I know that now, but at the time, I thought you were distancing yourself from me again."

"At the time, I was really trying. I bought lingerie. I cooked you meals. I constantly tried to set up special dates for the two of us. Why would you think that I'd cancel our anniversary celebration without giving you a call? Even at my worst, I never had Tanya give you the bad news. Somewhere in the back of your mind, didn't you stop to think that your mistress might have ulterior motives?"

"I can see why you'd say that, but Tanya loved you. I didn't think that she'd lie to me about that."

_Seriously? _

"Edward, how much could Tanya really love me? She was fucking my husband. Besides, she knew that I was at her apartment. I texted her to let her know that I was picking up my boots."

"She knew you were there?" he inquired quietly.

"Yes."

I was jolted when Edward suddenly shouted, "That bitch! I can't believe she'd put me in that position! I'm going to kill her!"

"Edward, calm down."

"Calm down?" he yelled disbelievingly. "She set me up!"

"Yes, she may have set you up, but you're losing track of the big issue here. You were fucking someone that wasn't me. It sucks that your mistress betrayed you, but YOU betrayed YOUR WIFE!"

His eyes widened when he heard the venom in my voice. "Bella, I didn't mean it like that. You're right. Tanya's lie isn't what's important. I'm so fucking sorry. I should have never been with someone else."

"No, Edward. You weren't just with 'someone else,' you were with someone I considered to be a sister. You lied to me. Your betrayal not only ended our marriage, it also ended one of the most significant friendships of my life. Your and Tanya's charade destroyed my life. Most people wouldn't treat their worst enemies the way you treated your _wife_."

He just stared at me like a lost puppy.

"Do you understand what that did to me? I thought there was something wrong with me. I bought all that lingerie and tried everything I could think of to spice up our nonexistent sex life, yet I barely got a reaction out of you. There was no enthusiasm or appreciation. Just mild interest, if anything. Now I know that when I would try to seduce you, you'd recently fucked her. The thought of you double-dipping makes me want to vomit," I shuddered. "Do you know how many men Tanya has been with? Can you even comprehend the health risks you took for BOTH of us? Hell, she was my best friend and I wouldn't even drink after her!"

"I never slept with you both on the same day," Edward insisted. His tone indicated how offended he was.

"Seriously?" I gave an empty laugh. "You were going to fuck us both on our _anniversary_, Edward. On the day that we celebrated our love and commitment to each other, you would have let me suck your dick after it had been in her. That is wrong and sick on so many levels."

_Breathe, Bella._

"The sad thing is that it's not even the worst part. Do you know that I don't even trust myself anymore?" I cried. "I thought that I could trust you and Tanya with my life. If I was so wrong about the two people who meant the most to me, then what are the other people in my life capable of? Hell, I sabotaged a perfectly healthy relationship because I couldn't trust my boyfriend to love me. I thought eventually he'd just grow tired of me and move on. I've lived the last few years, thinking I'm unlovable."

"I'm so sorry, Bella," he pleaded. "You are by far the most lovable person I know. Even when I've tried not to, I've loved you. I wish I could make you see that. Most of all, I wish I could go back in time and change everything."

"But you can't. It happened and we both have to live with the consequences."

Edward didn't respond right away. After a few moments of silence, he asked quietly, "Where do we go from here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think that you could ever forgive me?"

I sighed. "I forgave you years ago, Edward."

His eyes brightened and filled with hope. "I'm so glad to hear that. Do you think that we could try to be friends again?" he asked. "See where things go?"

_If only it were that simple._

"I forgave you, Edward, but that doesn't necessarily mean I trust you. I'm not sure how a friendship could work without trust," I stated honestly.

"Please. Just give me a chance to earn your trust. Let me show you how important you are to me," he begged. "I just want you in my life, Bella. It hurts to think about my world without you in it."

"I'm sorry, Edward."

We just stared at each other, his eyes pleading with me to change my mind. Like a train wreck, I couldn't look away.

_What was I supposed to do?_

I'd wanted to know the truth for so long. Yet, after all the build-up, it felt…. anticlimactic.

In books, the main characters would embrace and share a bittersweet moment, or they would determine to give their love another shot. But this wasn't a romance novel, and I wasn't a lovesick heroine.

_Not really…_

In real-life, the moment wasn't sweet. It was just awkward as hell. I stood there and stared at Edward until he ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

I snapped out of my trance and said quietly, "Well, I'd better get going."

"Yeah," he agreed hesitantly, "me too."

As we walked to our cars, Edward turned to me. "I'll never love anyone the way I love you."

"I understand," I whispered.

And I did. I doubted that I would ever feel so passionately in love with another man.

"Why am I such a fucking idiot?" he jokingly asked himself. His voice was thick with emotion and I could tell he was trying to make light of the situation.

It had been an emotional day. He'd made his amends. I wasn't angry anymore. I quipped back, "It must be genetic."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I'll be sure to tell Mom that you said hello."

We both laughed at the lameness of the joke. Our laughter quickly died when we reached the parking lot.

Edward started toward his car, but turned around quickly and pulled me into a hug. I was so shocked that I didn't move. I just stood there like an idiot and let Edward hug me.

With a soft kiss to the forehead, he whispered, "Goodbye, love."

After a longing look, he got into his car and drove away.

Now that we had talked about the affair, it felt like a chapter in my life was over. Not even the divorce felt as final as this moment. The optimist in me hoped that this time in my life was a stepping-stone to something better… that my great love story was yet to come.

Somewhere deep down…. I knew better.

* * *

**A/N:**** As always, I appreciate everyone's ****constructive criticism****. This week's bribe is an excerpt from Bella's book. I am going to try to respond to each review, but if it starts to become too time consuming, I will just be posting the bribe to the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."**

**So here's the deal: I know updates have been really sporadic over the last few months. As a thank you for sticking with and supporting me, I will start updating AWS every ten to fourteen days. Hopefully, through consistent updates, you will realize how much I appreciate your time and dedication to this story ;)**

**Thank you to the following people for recommending AWS:**

**- Dragon1974UK**

**- To love and protect**

**- Thaigher Lillie**

**- WindowWardsGirl aka savanablue**

**- Lulu1709**


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